Table Tennis Table Tennis is a fast-paced sport that requires excellent hand and eye coordination. Special Olympics athletes demonstrate the necessary elements of power and finesse in order to play table tennis. Teresa Swaine, Special Olympics Ireland, competing in table tennis finals during the 2003 Special Olympics World Summer Games. [Photo by Brendan Moran, IRELAND OUT] In addition to offering traditional singles, doubles and mixed doubles events, Special Olympics Table Tennis offers individual skills competition to allow athletes to train and compete in basic table tennis skills. The development of these key skills is necessary prior to advancing to match play. These skills include racket bounce, forehand and backhand volley and serving. Special Olympics athletes can also participate in Unified Sports® doubles and mixed doubles events. Special Olympics Unified Sports is a program that combines Special Olympics athletes and athletes without intellectual disabilities (partners) on sports teams for training and competition. In Unified Sports Table Tennis, a team consists of one Special Olympics athlete and one partner. As in all Special Olympics sports, athletes are grouped in competition divisions according to ability level, age and gender. Table Tennis Facts Since its introduction at the 1987 Special Olympics World Games, where 12 athletes competed, participation in table tennis has grown tremendously. 231 athletes from 59 Programs competed in table tennis at the 2003 World Summer Games in Dublin, Ireland. As of the 2005 Special Olympics Athlete Participation Report, 131,163 Special Olympics athletes compete in table tennis. Table Tennis Events Singles, Doubles and Mixed Doubles Unified Sports Doubles and Mixed Doubles Wheelchair Competition The following table tennis events provide meaningful competition for athletes with lower ability levels: Individual Skills Competition Target Serve Racket Bounce Return Shot Related Links International Table Tennis Federation