Not just a game, table tennis takes off

The same year Gina Lin was applying for college, she led her high school’s table tennis team to fourth place in a national tournament. That year, the Table Tennis Club of UW–Madison won the “Rookie of the Year” award at a different national competition.

“So after that I was like ‘Whoa. Wisconsin’s on my radar,’” Lin says, adding that the decision had an impact on which schools she sent her SAT scores to.

Lin, from Shoreview, Minn. and now a first-year graduate student in industrial engineering, joined the club as a freshman in 2008, a year after it started on campus. The club has grown in both members and equipment since, now boasting eight newly purchased tables.

Lin played on the women’s team until a year ago, the last year she was eligible to play under the National Collegiate Table Tennis Association’s rules. The team not only made the national championships that year, but was ranked No. 10 overall — a feat even more impressive since many other schools offer their students table tennis scholarships.

Lin, who currently serves as an unofficial adviser to the competitive teams, says the sport is more challenging than it looks.

“Come and watch it, and actually play it. I’ve had people say to me ‘I can’t believe I’m sweating,’” Lin says. “It definitely can be a very active sport. If you watch it at the Olympic level or even watch some of the top players in our club, you’ll see that it really is a sport. Maybe it’s not as much contact as football, but it’s a sport.”

Despite the competitive nature, club president Navid Bahmani, a senior from Milwaukee majoring in finance, says the club has a diverse set of players with different backgrounds and skill levels.

“Our emphasis is on the fact that it’s recreational,” Bahmani said. “We don’t make any cuts. It’s for anyone who enjoys the sport — even if you’re just a basement player and this is your third time ever playing. We have players ranging from that level to national tournament competitors.”

During the club’s twice-weekly meetings, players set up the tables and play. The club provides all the equipment needed to play, although players often bring their own paddles.

The club is also focused on building its awareness on campus to encourage more students from diverse backgrounds to join the club and play, Bahmani adds.

“Whenever I tell people that I’m the president of this club, they’re surprised that there’s even a table tennis club on campus, before they’re surprised that I’m the president,” Bahmani says.

Like other members in the club, Bahmani played table tennis recreationally in high school, after having played tennis since he was 6 years old. Before he became president of the UW–Madison club, he hosted its first campuswide tournament in 2011.

Club member Brian De Vere, a senior from Orono, Minn. studying accounting and music, helped organize a more recent competition this fall. De Vere started playing table tennis when he was in middle school. He joined the club during his freshman year.

“I like the people — I have friends here, which is cool — and the competitiveness,” De Vere says. “I played a lot of sports in high school and all I do is run now, so that’s my only other competitive thing. So it’s cool that I can, twice a week, come and actually play a sport against people.”

The club plays on Tuesdays and Fridays in the basement of the First Congregational Church at 1609 University Ave. The church is near Camp Randall Stadium, across the street from the Engineering Centers Building and the Naval ROTC, and is on a number of bus routes.

Fees are $20 per semester for new members and $15 for returning members.

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