Following on from the success of Ping! in previous years, the ping pong project makes its comeback, this time hosting free-to-play tables in a record 16 regions across England; Birmingham, Brighton & Hove, Bristol, Bury, Cambridge, Cornwall, Exeter, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, London, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Nottingham, Oxford and Sheffield.
Launching alongside National Table Tennis Day, table tennis tables will be rolled out in a host of weird and wonderful outdoor locations. Brighton Ping! offers the chance to play on the pier, while Leicester’s Ping! sees ping pong tables installed as part of the new Richard III walking tour of the city. Ping! Leeds celebrated the start of the Tour De France by placing a full size table on a bicycle, and Cornwall has floating tables at Bude and Penzance.
But Ping! is not all about the freeplay, a number of master-classes and tournaments are available for those who fancy something different. Literary Ping! Pong! Will take place at the British Library, while in Nottingham players from Nottingham Forest FC are waiting to be challenged.
Sport England’s Director of Sport, Phil Smith, said: “With over 380,000 people taking part in Ping! last year, the success of this project and the public appetite to play table tennis in locations convenient to them is evident. Picking up a bat and giving table tennis a go is a great way to get involved in this fantastic summer of sport.”
Ping! is a Sport England initiative and is delivered in partnership with Sing London and Table Tennis England, the national governing body for the sport. Table Tennis Chief Executive, Sara Sutcliffe, said: “The beauty of Ping! is that it takes tables tennis directly to people in everyday locations, giving them a chance they may not otherwise have to get involved in sport and an active lifestyle. The project grows and becomes more exciting every year and we’re looking forward to working with Sing London and our local partners to deliver some eye-catching events and engage with more people in more communities than ever before.”
Colette Hiller, Sing London’s Creative Director, says: “A ping pong table is a small intervention, but it’s amazing how much fun it can generate.”
Ping! will take place between now and the end of August with over 600 public tables installed across England. Just borrow a bat from the side of the table and play ball! For more information, visit: http://www.pingengland.co.uk/