"I don't see the challenge as a failure" Hina Hayata’s tears

What 33-year-old innovator Winter and 62-year-old legend Ni Xia Lian taught us

　In between reporting on the World Table Tennis Championships in London, the birthplace of Table Tennis, I visited the Table Tennis bar "BOUNCE." About a 30-minute ride by subway and on foot from Wembley Arena. At the entrance of the shop, which is also close to the financial district of the City, it says "HOME OF PING PONG 1901." The Ping Pong Association was founded in 1901, and the name "ping pong" was born in London. The shop opened in 2012 on the site of that association.

　On Friday night, nearly all of the approximately 20 Table Tennis tables were occupied. Customers ordered alcohol at the bar counter, enjoyed pizza, and exchanged rallies. Asking a man who had stopped by after work and was playing doubles with his friends why he came, he said, "Table Tennis is a lot of fun, and it lets you communicate."

　It takes up little space, and with a racket and a ball, anyone can play casually. The rules are also simple. The number of ITTF (International Table Tennis Federation) member countries and regions exceeds 220, more than the IOC (International Olympic Committee). The place that can be called its starting point was lively until late at night.