International book international book of favorite sports_FV | Page 123

VI.4 Table Tennis – fun facts
(Polish team)
1. Ping pong was invented in England at the end of the 19th century.
2. Table tennis is the most popular sport in the world where you use a racket.
3. China, Sweden and South Korea are currently superpowers in table tennis.
4. Ping-pong balls are not empty inside. They are filled with gas under
appropriate pressure.
5. The players' clothes must be dark so that the contrast with the ball is
maintained.
6. In the years 1930-1940 in the USSR, pingpong was banned because it was
considered that such a fast game is harmful to the eyes.
7. The cheapest versions of the pallets were made of cardboard covered with
sandpaper.
8. The Pole of Jewish nationality Alex Erlich and Romanian Ferenc Paneth in
1936 fought one point for two hours and 15 minutes, exchanging over 10,000
applications.
9. The best players are able to send the ball at a speed of over 150 km / h.
10. In 2000, the balls were increased by 2 mm, which slowed the game by 15%,
making it easier to watch.
11. A heavily curled ball rotates faster than the engine at full speed of a sports
car.
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