Organized sports are out, for who knows how long, but table tennis (or Ping Pong) might be the answer.
Monday is World Table Tennis Day, created by the International Table Tennis Federation in 2015 and celebrated every April 6 in tournaments and exhibitions. Of course, there are no celebrations or exhibitions this year, but Di Liu of Dartmouth, who plays in tournaments (that he sometimes wins), still has the spirit.
The ITTF has asked for video submissions of creatively played table tennis, and Liu was quick to demonstrate his skills, which include using a roll of toilet paper as a racquet to bounce a ball off his wall.
“I’d like to share my table tennis story with all local residents during the special time,” said Lui, who is originally from Beijing and has lived in Halifax for almost a year. “It is to gather all table tennis enthusiasts together online to participate in this event. It’s a good chance to get to know more about table tennis, but also it is a safe sport when you stay at home.”
There are seven table tennis clubs across the province. The Nova Scotia Table Tennis Association cancelled a tournament in March and is likely to cancel another one this month.
Liu says WTTD is “a celebration of the joy to play table tennis for fun, bringing people together where the focus is less on competition and more on participation and fun.”
For example, he says Ping Pong doesn’t have to be played on a regulation table, suggesting instead the kitchen table or even the “tea table.”
He got a jump on submitting his video to the Federation and heard back quickly.
“Players record their own video individually and put it on Facebook or Instagram, and the International Table Tennis Federation will collect all the videos and share them online. So, all the players can meet online worldwide,” said Liu, 26, who has been playing since he was six years old and is currently ranked 138th in Canada. “I just wanted to share my story so I recorded my video at home, and sent it. They got back to me by email and said they would use my video.”
