A Smashing Success: 100 Years of Victorian Table Tennis by Bob Tuckett, Andrew Cornell and the TTV History Group

Description From ping-pong games in church halls to Olympic tournaments, table tennis is now a global sport. Played in Victoria since the 19th century, 2025 marks the centenary of the state’s official body, today called Table Tennis Victoria. The earliest stars of the sport, such as Arch Champion, the first Australian national title holder, included multisport talents and potato farmers. Dedicated officials – mostly volunteers – have stewarded table tennis and helped it to flourish; people who served for decades like Ron Jones, Joan Guggenheim and Albert Cooper. Wirth’s Olympia, Earl’s Court and the Albert Park Nissen huts have housed table tennis’ Victorian headquarters and now it is played at dozens of centres across Melbourne and the regions. Table tennis in Victoria is also a story of multicultural Australia, as it was enriched by waves of immigrants from Europe and Asia. Champions such as Hungarian Suzy Javor, Thailand’s Charlie Wuvanich and Chinese Miao Miao delighted the crowds and raised the standard of the local game. Victorian table tennis has had its share of thrilling events, dramas and surprises, and this centenary history captures them all, along with celebrating the coaches, the officials and, most of all, the players. Specifications: Publisher: Table Tennis Victoria History Group / Broadcast Books Year: 2025 Format: Hardback, no dustjacket Pages: 294pp ISBN: 9781763825017