The game is played on a divided table with a net in the middle, using lightweight balls and specialized rackets made of wooden blades covered with rubber on both sides. Singles matches follow a best-of-seven game format, with the winner of each game being the first to reach 11 points with a margin of two clear points. Team matches consist of four singles matches and one doubles match, with each team comprising three players, and victory is achieved when a team wins three individual games. In doubles matches, players alternate hitting the ball.

Table tennis made its Olympic debut at the 1988 Seoul Games, featuring singles and doubles competitions for both men and women. The mixed doubles event was added for the 2020 Tokyo Games, bringing the total number of events across genders to five. The team competition took the place of the doubles event in 2008.

Historically, central European countries like Hungary, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Germany dominated the sport until the mid-20th century. However, since its inclusion in the Olympics, athletes from the People’s Republic of China have dominated, amassing a total of 60 medals, including 32 golds, showcasing their unparalleled prowess in the sport.