Table tennis
Table tennis is a racket game for singles or doubles on a table divided by a net. Every rally scores a point, a game is won by the first to 11 points (with a lead of two from 10-10) and a match is the best of an odd number of games, usually five or seven. Each player serves two points in turn.
New to table tennis? Start here
How long
Games to 11 points; matches are the best of a set odd number of games
Lengths are from the rule book.
The big events, and why they matter
- 1Olympic Games (table tennis)The title table tennis is measured by.Every 4 years · Holder: 5 events, all won by China
- 2World Table Tennis ChampionshipsThe sport's own world title.Yearly: individual in odd years, team in even years · Holder: Teams: London 2026
- 3Asian Games (table tennis)Asia's multi-sport title; for India often the most reachable major medal.Every 4 years · Holder: 7 events; China won 6, Japan the men's team
- 4Commonwealth Games (table tennis)A Games where India has won many table tennis medals (to check).Every 4 years · Holder: 11 events; India won 4 golds and was the best…
How the tournaments are graded
World Table Tennis (WTT) grades its series of events by the ranking points they give.
| Level | Winner's points |
|---|---|
| WTT Grand Smash (and the Olympic Games and World Championships) | 2,000 |
| WTT Finals | 1,500 |
| WTT Champions | 1,000 |
| WTT Star Contender | 600 |
| WTT Contender | 400 |
India
- Table tennis at the Olympic Games: No medal; best result =5, women's team, Paris 2024
- World Table Tennis Championships: 2 bronzes, both at London 1926: S.R.G. Suppiah in the men's singles and the men's team
Countries to know
India and the nations that have done best, biggest titles first.
- IndiaWorld Table Tennis Championships: 2 bronzes (latest 1926); Table tennis at the Commonwealth Games: 10 golds, 5 silvers, 12 bronzes (latest 2022)
- ChinaTable tennis at the Olympic Games: 37 golds, 21 silvers, 8 bronzes (latest 2024); World Table Tennis Championships: 165 golds, 106 silvers, 174 bronzes (latest 2026)
- HungaryWorld Table Tennis Championships: 72 golds, 61 silvers, 77 bronzes (latest 1995)
- JapanWorld Table Tennis Championships: 50 golds, 45 silvers, 79 bronzes (latest 2026); Table tennis at the Asian Games: 21 golds, 23 silvers, 46 bronzes (latest 2026)
Who runs it
| Rules made by | International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), Statutes 2026, chapter 2, The Laws of Table Tennis |
| International federation | International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) |
| In India | Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI): recognition suspended. MYAS suspended it on 12 August 2026 for governance failures, and it is not on the MYAS list for 2026 |
The Indian body's position is unsettled; a published page should say so and not name the TTFI as the settled authority (FC section 6). Re-checked 2026-10-20: no later change found.
Where and when it is played
Indoors, on a table 2.74 metres long, 1.525 metres wide and 76 cm high, with a net 15.25 cm high. The big events: the Olympic Games every four years and the World Table Tennis Championships every year, individual events in odd years and team events in even years.