FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2001 Table Tennis National Championships

 Will Feature "Hardbat" Competition

Las Vegas, NV - The USA Table Tennis National Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada, December 19-23rd , is set to include over 700 ranked players who will chase national titles in a variety of events. One feature of this year's National Table Tennis Championships will be the Hardbat Championships, to include singles, doubles, round robins, and rating events. Recently, USA Table Tennis Board of Directors passed the Hardbat Committee's proposal to exempt hardbats with equal rubber from the two-color rule in domestic events.

On Saturday evening, taking place between the Men's and Women's final matches, a short 15 minute Hardbat Exhibition, will be played right after the Women's Finals event, showcasing Lily Yip from New Jersey (ranked 9th in the U.S.) and Ashu Jain, 2001 National Team member from Texas.

The stage is also set for a spectacular showdown for the National Team Trials on Tuesday, December 18th, starting at 6:00 p.m. and concluding Wednesday, December 19th, featuring several top Olympic table tennis athletes competing for a berth on the 2002 U.S. National Team.

This annual USA National Table Tennis Championships is organized by USA Table Tennis, the national governing board for Olympic Table Tennis in the U.S. It is being contested on 80 tournament-quality Butterfly tables spread through the Las Vegas Convention Center, Hall C3. The event is staged and promoted in partnership with Martin Kilpatrick and Paddle Palace, both table tennis equipment suppliers of Butterfly and Nittaku products.

The public can attend all five days events free, except for the Men's Semis and Finals Events, Dec. 22nd , 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.. Tickets can be purchased for these matches by logging onto www.ticketsguaranteed.com or by calling USA Table Tennis (719) 578-4583.