The 2014 Commonwealth Games were held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 3 with 71 nations competing in 18 different sports, table tennis among them. If you’ve never watched table tennis before, then you might be forgiven for thinking that it’s not particularly exciting. Think again.
Table tennis, or ping-pong (or whiff-whaff if you’re Boris Johnson), has been an Olympic sport since 1988, and has been approved for the Commonwealth Games since 2002. If you think about it, it’s quite an appropriate sport for the Commonwealth Games considering its origin as a British parlour game, possibly first created by British military officers in India or South Africa.
This amazing men’s singles table tennis match was between Nigeria’s Segun Toriola and Singapore’s Ning Gao. Both are ranked as the top player in their home countries, so this third round match was bound to be a tense and exciting one.
The ball flies across the table almost too fast to see, and Toriola pulls off some incredible lunges as they go for an unbelievable 41-shot rally. The Nigerian player is on the defensive while the Chinese player returns surely and confidently, until he eventually hits the ball long, no doubt frustrated by how much time it’s taking to finish his opponent. Watch the video below to see a clip of the action and check out the screenshots, which were pretty difficult to capture given how fast everything was moving.
Gao ultimately won the match 4-0, and went on to the finals only to lose to fellow Singaporean Jian Zhan. However, despite losing the match overall, it was Toriolo’s epic stamina in this rally that really got the crowds going, and showed just how exhilarating ping-pong can be.
▼ Gao serves.
▼ Toriolo finds himself in a defensive position, lunging left and right.
▼ Gao begins to get frustrated at his opponent’s tenacity.
▼ The moment Toriola wins the point.
Source: Commonwealth Games on YouTube, Commonwealth Games Official Site
This table tennis comedy video isn’t “boring.” It may be the best video ever!
TIL: Table tennis tables are blue because of a Japanese comedian’s random comment
Table tennis rally between Japanese and Chinese players raises cheers from all countries【Video】
Sales of Jun Mizutani Curry skyrocket, show why it pays to back your Olympic hopefuls
Chinese table tennis champ stripped of $45k prize after emotional outburst【Video】
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Body of missing American college student found in Kyoto mountains
Japan’s cheap beef bowl chain Matsuya opens gourmet Premium Matsuya with Kobe beef…inside Matsuya
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
A Japanese toast sandwich remix: The toasted rice rice ball[SoraKitchen]
Osaka is hosting a “hentai” event, but it’s probably not what you think
Japan Railways partners with Overwatch, heroes hit the Shinkansen for bullet train collaboration
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Starbucks Japan unveils new Frappuccino showcasing “mottainai” culture
What’s it like to join Tokyo’s walking-and-talking-with-strangers club for a day?
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
Tourists brave Typhoon Jangmi to queue at two famous sites in Tokyo
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japanese Olympics table tennis player has uncanny flair for mimicking anime characters on court
Absolutely insane Wii Sports tennis video shows it may be the greatest action game ever made