Home of
Classic Table Tennis in England (Sandpaper, Hardbat, Wood)
What is PingPongUK?
We are Derek and Juliet Johnston. We created English Classic Table Tennis, along with Ping Pong Scotland, with the aim of promoting Sandpaper Table Tennis in the UK, because we love Sandpaper TT and want to see it continue in the UK and flourish worldwide.
Our History
We first became aware of Sandpaper TT, or Ping Pong, in 2015 - during the era of the World Championship of Ping Pong at Alexandra Palace, London. We became regular spectators at the Ally Pally, and then in 2018 we took over organising the Scottish WCPP Qualifier. Derek was subsequently the WCPP Referee in 2019, 2020 and at the Masters Invitational in Coventry in 2021.
When sport restarted after Covid-19, the WCPP did not resume, and we missed our Ping Pong events in the UK. So, in addition to continuing with the Scottish Closed Championships each December, we held an Open Sandpaper Tournament in St Neots, Cambridgeshire in May 2022. It was a fun day, but we failed to achieve as many players as we had hoped - probably because we didn't get the word out widely enough. So we set up this website to improve communications going forward.
This website will promote Sandpaper Table Tennis in the UK. We hope to provide information about any and all Sandpaper events in the UK - whether they're a Club fun night, a Sandpaper event at a Closed Championships, or a full scale international. So please watch this space, and let us know if you or someone you know is organising an event.
In early 2023, we were invited to be a Founder Member Nation of the ICTTF (International Classic Table Tennis Federation, icctf.co).
For more general information about Sandpaper TT, or specific information about Sandpaper TT in Scotland, please see our website www.pingpongscotland.wixsite.com/home
Our Events
We currently organise two annual Sandpaper Tournaments. These are run on a voluntary basis with the aim that the entry fees cover the hall hire, equipment costs, prizes and fees for registering results with the ICTTF.
There is of course a competitive element however our main aim is to give players of all ages a chance to play and to have fun, we try to make sure that players of all standards have plenty of games. Weather and Covid restrictions permitting, we have a Pizza get together afterwards to give the players a chance to relax and socialise before heading home.
The Scottish Classic Open, usually held in Dundee in December, incorporates the long standing National Sandpaper Championships where Scottish players compete for the Ronnie Turnbull Quaich. However in 2023, we added an Open Sandpaper event and an Open Hardbat event, so everyone is welcome to join is in Scotland - see event details (under "Calendar") for more information.
The UK Open Championships started life in 2022, partially intended to help keep an International Tournament alive in the UK, in the hope that someday the WCPP or a similar competition would be organised - and it happened! We subsequently sent 5 players to PPWC 2024, 3 of whom came home as World Champions! The 2024 UK & Ireland Open is open to all, has Sandpaper and Wood events, and we will be awarding Qualifier Spots for PPWC 2025 in Mexico in January 2025. If all goes well, we may also be able to run a Hardbat Tournament later this year.
We also intend to list details of other Sandpaper events in the UK. We are not all-seeing, so please let us know about any Sandpaper events so we can add them to our Calendar.