Let’s play more ping pong

Despite the rain, hail and occasional bouts of sunshine, this summer has seen thousands of people throughout the country picking up their bats and balls and playing table tennis.

The innovative table tennis programme, Ping! has proved so popular it’s been extended until September. Tables will remain in London, Liverpool, Bristol, Birmingham, Leicester, Brighton and Hove and Winchester for all to enjoy.

Equipment remains free of cost, meaning that there is no excuse not to pick up a bat and play ping pong!

Ping! is backed by National Lottery investment from Sport England, as part of its work to deliver a lasting legacy beyond London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.  Once the programme is over cities will donate the tables to organisations in their region making sure that Olympic legacy stays alive throughout the country. 

Sport England Chairman Richard Lewis said “I am delighted that thanks to popular demand Ping! has been extended in cities throughout the country. This shows the public’s growing appetite for sport and I hope this programme will help us inspire our next generation of Olympians.”

Richard Yule, the Chief Executive of the English Table Tennis Association, said: “With the great buzz about sport after the sensational Olympics, we are delighted that thousands of people will be able to participate in table tennis for an extended period”

Colette Hiller, of Sing London, said: “By taking ping pong tables to unusual locations, we’ve helped generate new interest in the game.  Best of all, ping pong seem to make people happy – you’ll notice that people playing at the Ping! tables are almost always smiling.“