In the 5th of our 'Knowledge' pieces on the Special Olympics Summer Games in Bath we're rallying round to focus in on Table Tennis.
Firstly for those of you who aren't well-versed in the differences between Table Tennis and its larger relation, here are the basics.
Every athlete aims in passing the ball to the opponent side of the table over the net, striking it with a Table Tennis racquet.
Table Tennis is a fast sport that requires excellent coordination of hands and eyes. Special Olympics athletes share the essential elements of force and ability so that they can play Table Tennis. Apart from the traditional events, Special Olympics competition includes individual skill events that allow the athletes to work and compete in basic skills of table tennis. The development of these basic skills is necessary for the athletes to take part in the events. These skills include bounce of the ball with the racket, volley and backhand.
The Main Sports Hall at Bath University is the venue and will see 45 athletes competing to take home Gold. For more information on how you can support them, head over to the Bath 2013 website.
