Ping pong fever hits London

By: Jeff James

Listed Under: News

Published: Thursday, June 24, 2010

This summer 60 ping pong tables will pop up across London’s landmarks, squares, shopping centres, estates, offices and train stations - from Soho Square to Westfield Shopping Centre, Tate Britain to the British Library, St Pancras International to Heathrow’s Terminal 3.

Marked ‘Stop and Play’, the tables will be in position for four weeks for all to enjoy.

Tables, bats and balls will be supplied by Cornilleau, the UK’s market leader in table tennis for the leisure market.

Ping! has been created by Sing London, the participatory arts organisation that produced last year’s Street Pianos Project.

Supported by National Lottery funding from Sport England’s Innovation Fund, Ping aims to get a million more people playing more sport by 2012.

The initiative is delivered in partnership with the English Table Tennis Association, which will bring Ping! to four more cities over the next two years, returning to London for 2012. Further support comes from Yahoo.

“Ping! is for everyone - those who love table tennis and those who didn’t know they did,” says Colette Hiller, creative director of Sing London.

Jennie Price, Sport England’s chief executive, adds: "Table tennis has wide appeal, and I hope thousands of people will take advantage of these outdoor tables and will enjoy playing.”

As well as free play, each ping pong table features a varied programme of masterclasses, competitions and free to join activities. Highlights include:

• The Ping Pong Parlour - a ping pong lounge with ongoing activities at 7 Marshall Street W1.

• Passport to PINGland - perform three ping-pong challenges and win a free bat at various locations. Part of the Cultural Olympiad – July 24.

• Literary Ping Pong Quiz - At the British Library, July 30, 12.30pm.

• Spin In The Square - masterclasses across London’s squares, August 5.

• Singles for Singles - find a partner at Golden Square, August 12, 6.30pm-8pm.

• Late Night Natural History Museum Ping Quiz - at the Natural History Museum, July 30.

• Whiff Whaff; An Active, Playful Lecture - At the Geoffrye Museum, August 8, 3pm-4pm.

• Smash The City – a league tournament across the City of London.

• Sing n Ping – the summer singalong/pingalong at Victoria Embankment Gardens August 19, 6.30pm-8pm.

Ping! launches at St Pancras Station on Thursday, July 22, 6.30pm-8pm with 30 tables, Team GB, Extreme Ping Pong, Ping N Sing and Round the table activities for all.

For a full programme of events visit http://www.pinglondon.com.