NASHUA – John Zhang, Sumeet Salvi and Kumal Shah knew they wanted to share their love of table tennis with their friends and classmates. But they had no idea just how many people they’d be sharing it with.

At the first meeting of the Nashua High School South table tennis club, formed by the three juniors back in December, 30 students showed up. And in the months since, the numbers have remained consistent.

It was enough to prompt the school to find a new space for the club and purchase additional ping pong tables, and enough to give the teens hope that their ultimate goal – creating a competitive table tennis group at the high school – could actually be a reality.

“We’d love to get some kind of league together and get other schools to
participate,” Zhang said, looking on as club members played ping pong on tables spread across a portion of the high school’s gymnasium. “But for now I am just happy beating Sumeet.”

Zhang and Salvi, co-presidents of the table tennis club, first came up with the idea last fall. Both have played ping pong for years, starting in elementary school and competing against friends, family and even in some tournaments.

And since table tennis became an Olympic sport in the 1980s it has grown in popularity around the globe. During the summer Olympics in London last year, more than 34 million people in China alone tuned in to watch the final of the men’s singles competition.

But in the United States, and at their high school, said Salvi, many people think of ping pong as a party game or leisure activity.

The teens said they started the club not only to play more table tennis, but also to show their classmates that it is actually a sport.

“A lot of other sports, you need a certain height, or a certain strength, but table tennis is all about skill,” Salvi said. “If you can get the skills, you can compete.”

Their efforts seem to be paying off.

During one of the club’s final meetings of the year, sneakers squeaked on the gym floors as students lunged for the small orange and white balls flying through the air.

For club member Josh Ogoe, a junior at Nashua South, the club has made table tennis a serious hobby.

Ogoe said he had played before, but joined the club primarily because his friends founded it. After just a few weeks of regular play, however, he was hooked.

He’s already bought his own ping pong table to have at home, and said he plans to get much more serious about the sport in the future.

For club advisor Dan Wyborney, a physical education teacher at the high school, the table tennis club is a great resource for students who might not otherwise get involved in sports.

“It definitely adds something else for students to participate in,” he said. “It allows them to compete, but to also get better. A lot of the students have really stepped up to show the others how to play.”

Zhang said he and the other club leaders want to ensure the club stays a fun place for students next year as well and open to players of all abilities.

But they said they also hope their efforts can grow the sport of table tennis at the high school level.

While the club attended a tournament in Nashua earlier this year, competing against other clubs from Souhegan and a few other high schools, participation was low.

If they table tennis club can grow at South, Zhang said, its members may be able to help interest grow overall.

Next year, Zhang said he hopes to see club members participate in additional tournaments and, if possible, get additional equipment to accommodate even more members.

“We definitely want to keep the club relaxed and a game, but I think people are starting to realize that this is a serious sport,” he said.

Danielle Curtis can be reached
at 594-6557 or dcurtis@nashua
telegraph.com. Also, follow Curtis on Twitter (@Telegraph_DC).