Table Tennis

Table Tennis is open to male and female athletes with a physical or learning difficulty spread over 11 classes. Classes 1 to 5 are for players in wheelchairs. 1 being the most severely disabled athletes and five the least disabled. Classes 6 to 10 are for ambulant athletes, 6 for the more severely impaired and 10 for the least disabled. Class 11 is for athletes with a learning difficulty.

Every game consists of five sets, and the first player to win three sets winning the match. The Paralympic programme comprises individual class (classification) competitions for men and women, an open wheelchair and an open ambulant competition for men and women and a class team event, which is made up of four singles and one doubles match. As in the singles game, the first team to win three matches wins the match.

The rules differ very little from the able bodied game. The exceptions are: in the  matches for wheelchair athletes the service ball must leave the table at the end rather from the side in order for it to be within immediate reach of the player receiving it; and that those with an amputation or hand impairment do not need to throw the ball up when serving.

Table Tennis is practiced in 104 countries

The contact details for those wishing to become involved in the game are as follows:

The English Table Tennis Association
3rd Floor, Queensbury House,
Havelock Road,
Hastings,
East Sussex
TN34 1HF
www.etta.co.uk

To contact The English Table Tennis Association click on the logo