TABLE TENNIS anyone? By Joe Novella Photos Gary Sissons
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able tennis; it's one of those activities many people consider a pastime more than an organised sport. Originating in England around the mid to late 1800s, it was originally called "ping pong" or "whiff whaff" and was popular with the upper and middle classes. Since then, the game has spread to all corners of the globe, some sources claiming it to be the most popular sport in the world by participation. Due to its popularity it was included in the first Para Olympic Games in 1960, the Olympic Games in 1988, and the Commonwealth Games in 2002.
According to a 2017 survey conducted by Ray Morgan Research, table tennis was more popular in Australia than cricket, netball and surfing with over a million Australians participating. Lucky for locals, there is a thriving table tennis community right here on the peninsula in the form of the Mornington Peninsula and Frankston City Table Tennis Association (MFTTA). The MFTTA is headquartered within a super impressive stadium at Civic Reserve, Mornington. The stadium acts as a regional hub for the Mornington Peninsula/Frankston region and south eastern suburbs, and is widely recognised as not only one of the best places continued page 12...
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10 | PENINSULA
March 2022