Table tennis Olympic qualifying tournament comes to campus

University Park, Pa. -- Thirty-five top table tennis players from across the country will converge on Penn State’s University Park campus with hopes to qualify for the 2004 Olympic games. The table tennis Olympic qualifying tournament will begin on Jan. 13 and will continue through Jan. 18 at Penn State’s Intramural Building. The top-ranking three male and three female competitors will then go on to compete in the North America Tournament later this winter to secure a place in the 2004 summer Olympic games in Athens, Greece.

Table tennis, which debuted during the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, has come a long way since its introduction as a genteel alternative to lawn tennis in late-19th century England and its popularity in the United States in the mid- and late-20th century as the casual basement game of “ping-pong.”

According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), today’s players compete for big money, wield high-tech rackets and volley the ball at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. Table tennis has become the world's largest participation sport, with 40 million competitive players worldwide and countless millions playing recreationally, says the IOC.

“Very few people realize the intensity and the complexity of the game since it is not well publicized throughout the country,” explains Lucy Chen, president of Penn State’s Table Tennis Club. “Penn State and the community should be proud that we’ve been given the honor of hosting such a prestigious event.”

Chen says this is a great opportunity for people to meet the Olympic hopefuls and witness first-hand the intensity of a professional table tennis game. “We invite everyone to come out to learn more about the importance of this emerging sport and see just how passionate and skilled its players are,” says Chen.

Tournament matches can be viewed by spectators on Wednesday, Jan. 14, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.; on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Jan. 15-17, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and on Sunday, Jan. 18, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Seating is limited, and admission is free.

For more information about the tournament or Penn State’s Table Tennis Club, contact Chen at lucychen@psu.edu or 814-862-1009, or visit http://www.usatt.org/events/2004_usa_olympic_singles_trials/