40 ping-pong tables to get ball moving for Olympics

MORE than 40 ping-pong tables are to be installed at locations including city landmarks, shopping centres and estates in Hull this summer as part of the build-up to the 2012 Olympics.

For four weeks, starting next month, it will be “anyone for table tennis” – be they at City Hall, Queen Victoria Gardens, Hull Royal Infirmary – or even waiting for a train at Paragon Station.

The event will have a grand launch on July 22 in Queen Victoria Square with the aid of the Travelling Ping-Pong Parlour, described as a “table tennis social club on wheels”. The size of a large ice cream van, it has fold-down sides and is set up so people can play against themselves.

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The Parlour will park at 28 Paragon Street from noon until 6pm between Wednesdays and Saturdays to host everything from “ping-pong bingo” to film screenings and, one night, a dating game where singles may find their match. Last year in London, Ping! – which is funded by the National Lottery – attracted 50,000 players. It will return to the capital in time for the Olympics. A spokeswoman said: “The event is about getting more people – a million more people– to play sport in time for the Olympics.”

English Table Tennis Association chief executive Richard Yule, said: “Table tennis can help break down barriers, bring communities together and put a smile on people’s faces, so I encourage everyone to get playing and take full advantage of the free tables popping up in a location near you this summer.”

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