Table Tennis in India

Table tennis in India has come a long way from being an after-dinner amusement to a professional sport. Right from it was brought to India by the British; the game has witnessed a number of changes in terms of its promotion and management. The establishment of the Table Tennis Federation of India in 1937 has proved to be favorable for its governance, which has been well. However, despite having one of the most efficient administrative bodies in country, the game has failed to produce excellent talents.

Talking about the performance at the national level, the Indian table tennis players have been struggling hard to exhibit their talent at the important international events. Lack of major success at the international stage has resulted in stagnation and the popularity of the game has nosedived in comparison to games like cricket and tennis. At the team level, India's most cherished performance has been the World Championships in Gothenburg, where it was placed at the 12th position.

The fact that even in the midst of such sustained mediocrity, India has played host to three World Champions is a tribute to the organizational efficiency present in the game. Moreover, table tennis has been one of the few games to find favor with institutional organizations like oil companies and banks. The game continues to feature at the competitions held by school, universities and other institutions, wherein it has achieved reasonable popularity.