Para Table Tennis

Para table tennis has been part of the Paralympic programme since the first Games were held in Rome in 1960, when only wheelchair athletes competed. Interestingly, table tennis has a much longer history in the Paralympic Games than its Olympic counterpart, which debuted at the Olympic Games in 1988. Table tennis is the third largest Paralympic sport in terms of athlete numbers, with more than 40 million competitive players in over 100 countries worldwide.

Like all other Paralympic sports, table tennis was only open to athletes in wheelchairs from the inaugural Games in 1960 up until the Toronto 1976 Paralympics. Today, this sport is played by athletes with a wide range of impairments, who are placed into 11 classes based on their physical and intellectual impairments for Paralympic competitions.

A match is contested over the best of five sets, with each set won by the first player to reach 11 points with a two-point margin. Para table tennis follows the exact same rules as its Olympic counterpart, with slight modifications regarding the service rules for players competing in wheelchairs, which are as follows: a ‘let’ is called if the ball returns in the direction of the net after bouncing on the receiver’s court or leaves the receiver’s court by either of its sidelines (singles only). 

Like in tennis doubles, doubles partners in wheelchairs do not have to take turns hitting the ball in para table tennis. 

There are 11 classes – TT1-TT5 are wheelchair classes, TT6-TT10 are standing classes and TT11 is for players with an intellectual impairment. Players who cannot grip a paddle firmly can strap the bat to their hand or use an elastic bandage to join the bat and the hand. According to regulations, some standing players can use canes or crutches, particularly in classes 6 to 8.

Eligible impairments

Physical disabilities (wheelchair or standing), intellectual impairments.

Classification

• Number: 1 to 5: athletes compete in a wheelchair (1 being the greatest impairment, 5 the mildest)
• 6 to 10: athletes compete standing (6 being the greatest impairment, 10 the mildest)
• 11: intellectual impairment