Tired of that same old Thursday night routine? Looking for something new and exciting to do? Why not try the Mississippi State Table Tennis Club?
Founded by Wassim Chao last September the club is now ranked 16th nationally and meets at seven on Thursday nights in the table tennis area of the Sanderson Center.
The club is currently looking for new members, some to play competitively and others just to have fun.
“Ping Pong is a sport for everyone, no matter how skilled you are,” Chao explained.
Competitive players play on the “A” team, while beginners start on the “B” team. The “B” team focuses more on player improvement than competition. The table tennis club is also a great place to meet new friends and get to know some international students from several different countries.
One of the international players is Xin Luo, who is originally from China. Xin Luo’s parents were city champions in China and encouraged Luo to play ping-pong. Luo came to America and earned his masters degree in business and is currently pursuing his doctorate at Mississippi State.
“I love ping-pong and started training when I was six years old in China,” said Luo. “My parents loved ping-pong and always encouraged me to play.”
The goal of the club is to “compete and bring pride to MSU,” says Chao. “I started this club because I love Mississippi State and I love Ping Pong, so I combined the two.”
The club also wants to promote the game and let people know that Mississippi State actually has a ping-pong club.
The club is a member of the Dixie Division, which also includes sixth ranked Southern Mississippi, West Florida, and South Alabama.
The teams meet up once a semester in the Dixie Division Tournament. The winner then advances to the national tournament.
Vice President Marcus Lashley enjoys ping-pong but also loves the competition.
“The (Dixie Division Tournament) is very competitive because it is to see who the division champion is, just like any other sport, the higher the stakes the more competitive the game becomes,” says Lashley.
For more information on the Mississippi State Table Tennis Club you can visit their web page at www.msstate.edu/org/pingpong. To join the table tennis club you can contact Wassim Chao at [email protected].