Whatever name it assumes, table tennis has come a long way since its introduction as a genteel, after-dinner alternative to lawn tennis in 1890s England. Today, players compete for big money, wield high-tech rackets and volley the ball at speeds up to 160 kilometres per hour. Table tennis has become the world's largest participation sport, with 40 million competitive players worldwide and countless millions playing recreationally.

The game, which debuted in the Olympic Games in 1988 at Seoul, began with cigar-box lids for rackets and a carved champagne cork for a ball. Today, players use specially developed rubber-coated wooden and carbon-fibre rackets and a lightweight, hollow celluloid ball. Various rubber compounds and glues are applied on the rackets to impart greater spin or speed.

Indeed, some glues are banned from Olympic competition - they make the ball travel up to 30km/h faster.

In singles, the top 16 seeds proceed directly to the main draw, while another 48 players enter a qualification round. A second 16 advance from that round. The main draw is a single-elimination tournament. The semi-finals winners play for the gold and silver medals, and the semi-finals losers play for the bronze. A similar format is used for doubles, but 32 teams are involved.

Table tennis has a strict code of conduct that penalises unsporting behaviour, but that does not stop players from engaging in psychological ploys to gain the upper hand. Staring out opponents, and causing delays by towelling off and tying shoes are common moves. While the players are well-mannered, the names of particular shots also reveal the game's aggressive and competitive nature - the Kill, the Hit and the Chop.