Paralympic Table Tennis Information

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• History
• Classification
• Calendar
• 2009 Para Pan Am Championship News
• 2009 World Championships Notes on eligibility
• Grants for Players
• Notes What is your Paralympic IQ? | US Team Paralympic Gallery

History

Table Tennis has been part of the Paralympic programme since the first Games in 1960. However, it was not until the Toronto 1976 Paralympic Games that standing players classified as amputees and les autres were included. Athletes with cerebral palsy took part for the first time in 1980. Athletes with an intellectual disability were introduced during the 1998 IPC Table Tennis World Championships in Paris, France, and the event was on the Paralympic programme for the first time at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games.

The first Table Tennis subcommittee was formed in the 1970s under the then International Stoke Mandeville Games Federation and was only responsible for wheelchair events. With the introduction of standing players in the 1976 and athletes with cerebral palsy in 1980, the various Table Tennis subcommittees came together to consider the issue of combined classification. This later led to the formation of a single Table Tennis Committee. For this reason, Table Tennis was considered the pioneer sport among the others in combining all disability classes. In the Seoul 1988 Paralympic Games, run under the auspices of the International Coordinating Committee, the combined committee for Table Tennis was formed. Info courtesy of IPC.

Classification

Athletes are classified into 11 classes, depending on the skills required for the sport and their ability (functional classification). Classification takes place after examining the range of movement of each athlete, his or her muscle strength, locomotor restrictions, balance in the wheelchair and the ability to handle the racket. Classes TT1-TT10 are for athletes with a physical disability. Classes 1 to 5 are for athletes competing in wheelchairs, while classes 6 to 10 compete standing. Class TT11 is for intellectually disabled athletes according to the INAS-FID/IPC definition (this class is currently not included in Paralympic competition).

Official Rules (Updated January 7, 2009)

International Calendar
Check with USATT Headquarter to enter any international events.
USA Table Tennis, One Olympic Plaza, Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5769
Telephone:719-866-4583 FAX 719-632-6071 - usatt@usatt.org

US Paralympic Documents - Please Read if you Plan on Competing Internationally

• Para- Pan American TT Championships News

  All players interested in participating at the Para Pan Am Championships, to be held in Margarita Island, Venezuela, September 28 - October 3, 2009 should send their intention of participation and events they want to enter, to Doru@usatt.org by May 20, 2009.

   Qualifying athletes are responsible for all costs associated with participation. No coaching or other on-site support will be provided.

   U.S. athletes may qualify to participate in the Pan American Championships by meeting the criteria set forth below:

   To be eligible for entry, a USA athlete must have:

  1. Competed in at least three (3) USATT sanctioned events between January 1, 2009 and July 1st, 2009, AND
  2. Have a USATT rating on July 5th, 2009 that meets or exceeds the standard for his or her class, AND
  3. Be among the top three U.S. eligible athletes in his or her Class ranked by USATT ratings as of July 5th, 2009.

  Men's USATT Rating
  Class 10 > 1900
  Class 9 > 1800
  Class 8 > 1700
  Class 7 > 1600
  Class 6 > 1500
  Class 5 > 1600
  Class 4 > 1500
  Class 3 > 1400
  Class 1-2 >1000

  Women's USATT Rating
  Class 8-10 > 1500
  Class 6-7 >1300
  Class 5 > 1400
  Class 4 > 1300
  Class 3 > 1000
  Class 1-2 > 700

  Information about the entry fee, events and other info related to this event are available at ITTF PTT calendar web page:

  http://206.191.35.210/calendar/index.htm

   

• 2009 World Championships

  Information about the 2010 World Championships in Gwangju, Korea - (Click Here) - (Key Notes:  To be eligible to participate in the World Championships a player must have enough factor points.  You receive factor points by participating in international events.  Winning the Para Pan Ams alone is NOT enough to become eligible to play in the World Championships. If you have additional questions please contact USATT.)

Grants:

• Challenged Athletes Foundation - 2010 Applications should be available post summer. Deadline is December 1, 2009

Notes:

• Wheelchair friendly tables should have table legs at least 40 cm from the end line of the table for wheelchair players

What is your Paralympic Table Tennis IQ?
We are all aware of how inclusive table tennis is as an activity. As we saw in Beijing, Paralympic table tennis is gaining more popularity, and the ITTF has become the International Governing Body for the group. US Paralympics and USATT are now working hand-in-hand to continue to serve these great athletes. Here are ten questions to test your Paralympic Table Tennis knowledge:

1. How many Americans have a physical disability?
2. What is the primary difference between Paralympic table tennis and Special Olympics table tennis?
3. How many different classes compete in Paralympic table tennis?
4. Can Paralympic players compete in USATT Events?
5. Are there any special needs for Paralympic players?
6. Are you allowed to serve short to a player in a wheelchair?
7. How does one make the Paralympic team?
8. How strong is the international field?
9. What is the next big Paralympic event?
10. Where can I get more information on Paralympic table tennis?

Answers

1. Today, there are more than 21 million Americans with a physical disability. In the past few years, more than 20,000 military personnel have sustained serious injuries during active duty.
2. Paralympic table tennis is for athletes with a physical disability, whereas Special Olympics table tennis is for athletes with intellectual disabilities.
3. There are ten classes for both male and females. Classes 1–5 are for wheelchair athletes and classes 6–10 are for standing disabled.
4. Not only do they compete, but they excel in USATT tournaments all over the country. Table tennis encourages paralympic athletes to compete head-to-head against able body athletes based on age, level, and/or gender.
5. If you host tournaments, run a club, or coach regularly, purchasing a wheelchair-friendly table is a very smart investment to encourage more Paralympic play. These tables have their legs and crossbars moved closer to the net to allow for safer access on short balls. In tournaments, wheelchair players might ask for ball boys or ball girls to help speed up the game. In the lower classes, especially classes 1–2, players will often have a hand wrap to help them hold the racket.
6. Yes, you can serve short to an athlete in a wheelchair! However, there are some agreed-upon rules to make the game fairer. You may not serve directly off the side of the table and the ball must eventually go off the end of the table if not touched.
   On the other side of the table, some Paralympic players are allowed modified service rules if they are unable to serve according to the standard rules because of a documented physical disability.
7. Currently there are no direct head-to-head trials to make the team and represent the US because our numbers are relatively low. At the larger international tournaments there is a limit of three players per country per class. When we have more than three players per class, the USATT rating system is used to determine the top three. For the World Championships, a player can be selected based on their world ranking, qualifying through a regional qualifier (the Para Pan Am Championships), or by receiving a wild card invitation. For complete information on playing in all types of tournaments please visit www.usparalympics.org.
8. In both Asia and Europe the competition is very intense, just as it is in able-body table tennis. These players train close to full-time and play for leading clubs in leagues and compete regularly. The best disabled standing players in the world would be rated over 2600 for men and over 2500 for women. The best wheelchair players would be stronger than 2250 for men and stronger than 2100 for women.
9. The US Open and US Nationals generally have a set of events for Paralympic players. If a player is interested in playing internationally please check www.ipttc.org/calendar/. The Para Pan Am Championships will be at the end of September in Venezuela and will be a direct qualifier for the World Championships in 2010 in Korea. For complete information, visit www.usparalympics.org.
10. For additional information for clubs, coaches, tournaments, or players please visit www.usatt.org/paralympic/, or email sean@ping-pong.com.

US Paralympic Team Photo Gallery

If you have any questions or comments please contact Sean O'Neill.