Table tennis participation is on the up, according to the latest Sport England figures released today.
The number of people aged 16 and over who are playing table tennis for at least 30 minutes every week stands at 102,600, up from 93,500 six months ago and from 101,000 a year ago.
The figures are part of the Active People Survey, which also shows participation for those with a disability has increased significantly over the last six months.
A total of 32,500 are playing monthly, up 3,400 on the previous period. The figure for weekly participation by people with disabilities has risen sharply from 12,900 to 22,000.
The Active People Survey, which has measured sports participation for a number of years, comes to an end on September 30. It will be replaced by Active Lives, which will give a broader picture of individuals’ participation in sport and activity, measured in 10-minute bouts, a big change from the current 30-minute criteria.
Table Tennis England CEO, Sara Sutcliffe said: “I welcome the new measure which we will give us further insight on our participants.
“The last six months have seen significant efforts from our clubs and through our recreational initiatives. Many clubs have set up new sessions for adults, those with disabilities and young people, whilst the number of companies, clubs and universities using the Loop social table tennis initiative continues to grow.
“We will continue to focus efforts to growing the sport through our clubs, Loop and Ping! projects.”