The table tennis racket is yours, not somebody else

I was shocked to hear the story of a friend who had his table tennis racket broken into pieces. He left his racket in the table tennis room in his office to have his lunch. When he has got back, his racket was broken into pieces without any trace of who has broken it.

Few weeks ago, a boy to our club in the pursuit of purchasing a new racket came to me asking what kind of blade I use. I had to give my suggestion and lend my racket to him to play a game. He followed the same pattern with other players in the club, and in some cases disturbing the players who play serious matches. Without making a decision, he came back next week to do the same. I had to offend him when I said I can’t give my racket to him to play.

Here is my take on using someone else racket. It is not gentle when you use someone else racket – playing a game or match in his absence is unethical.

Can we avoid situations like the above? Yes. If you play in a non-club atmosphere like cafeteria or office, don’t leave your paddle – some recreational players will come and play with it when you are not around. In tournaments, always keep the paddle in the case and take out only when the tournament starts.

Before any match in a tournament, the opponents can show their paddles to each other. In the absence of one of the players, it is unprofessional to go and look the opponent’s racket. You are not required to explain what you have on your racket to your opponent or what kind of behavior your racket has. You have to contact the referee if you have questions or objections on what your opponent is using.

Now look at some crazy acts: