For Immediate Release-February 16, 2000

For more information please contact Vicki Ulrich, Director of Media, 719/578-4583 ext#3286

Men's and Women's Teams will wear Stiga Brand in Multi-Year Agreement

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, FEBRUARY 3, 2000 – USA Table Tennis announced today that Stiga has become the "Official Clothing Sponsor" for USA Table Tennis through the year 2003.

The clothing agreement extends to the USA Men's, Women's and Youth teams appearances over the life of the contract. It also allows for the creation of a USA Senior squad in the future. In the past, USA Table Tennis clothing sponsors had limited their agreements to furnishing clothing for the team. The new contract includes in-kind services and cash payments to fund the Teams' travel and training opportunities.

The contract, which was negotiated by Executive Director Ben Nisbet and approved by the USA Table Tennis Board of Directors, contains financial consideration and in-kind services totaling more than $125,000. over the course of the contract.

The agreement is the latest development in a long-standing relationship between USA Table Tennis and the companies, which promote and sell the Stiga brand. The primary distributor for elite-level Stiga Table Tennis products in North America is The Table Tennis Pioneers, a Canadian company owned and operated by Mitchell Rothfleisch. Escalade Sports, (NASDAQ: ESCA) is Stiga's North American table manufacturer and supplier of mass market Table Tennis equipment. Sweden Table Tennis AB is a privately held Swedish company that owns the Stiga brand.

The terms of the contract require the team members to wear Stiga clothing furnished by The Table Tennis Pioneers in any international or domestic competition in which they appear as a representative of Team USA.

"We gladly welcome Stiga as our Official Clothing Sponsor," said Nisbet. "The length of the contract and the willingness of The Table Tennis Pioneers to include semi-annual cash payments show that both parties agree that American table tennis is entering a growth phase."

The Table Tennis Pioneers Marketing Director Sean O'Neill pointed out that the agreement extends beyond the branding of the USA Teams. "In the coming months, The Table Tennis Pioneers will introduce a Stiga clothing line offered exclusively to USA Table Tennis members. We plan to work with the organization in Joint Fundraising and Training Opportunities. As the official sponsor of the current World Champion and Olympic Gold Medallist, we are quite pleased to be to lend our support to Team USA in Sydney this summer."

"Stiga's International connections have been brought to the table and placed into service for American table tennis," Nisbet said. "We now have the ability to tap into the Stiga pipeline of elite players, coaches, and training facilities for our Youth and National Teams. This agreement will also help us leverage the attractiveness of starting an individual Youth Exchange Program in the future."

Rothfleisch was pleased with the scope of the agreement between his company and USA Table Tennis. "Obviously, we benefit from the growth of the sport in North America. Under this agreement, we not only advance Stiga's presence in the marketplace, but also draw more attention to table tennis."

Sheri Pittman, president of USA Table Tennis, added, "The Table Tennis Pioneers certainly lived up to its company name during the recently-concluded negotiations with USA Table Tennis. The agreement provides USA Table Tennis with apparel, cash payments, fundraising and membership campaigns, and other assistance totaling over $125,000 in value. In doing so, The Table Tennis Pioneers and its partners have set a new standard for USA Table Tennis sponsors."