Staying in the Game

Caliana Aleesha Binte Ramdzan, 18, opened her laptop for virtual table tennis training. She and her teammates mirrored their coach’s footwork, shadow strokes and drills in tiny on-screen rectangles. No table, net, or ball, but it kept her connected to the sport while public facilities were shut.

Caliana’s experience reflects a broader reality for table tennis. Despite months of facility closures that stalled many indoor sports during Covid-19, Singapore’s table tennis community stayed unexpectedly active. Mr Marcus Siow, a voluntary pen-hold coach, noted that limited access to training facilities was one of the biggest challenges, even with strong public interest. Many players scaled back training, choosing to “wait it (circuit breaker) out” or switch temporarily to individual activities like jogging, which kept them active and connected to the sport. These adaptations, whether virtual drills or alternative activities, helped table tennis bounce back faster than most other indoor sports once facilities reopened.

table tennis saw a consistent upward trend before Covid-19, rising 68.5% from 86,706 bookings in 2012 to 146,086 in 2019. The Covid-19 dip in 2020 was relatively small, with bookings falling 13.3% to 126,605. By 2022, bookings had rebounded sharply, increasing by 84.4% to 233,425, which was nearly double the 2020 figure.

Once restrictions eased, Caliana resumed her usual training routine in school. She noticed that while school-based training numbers remained roughly the same, external venues like ActiveSG halls saw more players. She suggested that the post-Covid rise in bookings may be due to wider media exposure through social media and online matches, which introduced more people to the sport and encouraged casual players to return.

According to The Straits Times, grassroots groups like Fa Ren Void Deck Table Tennis Community began during the pandemic in May 2021, fostering community play, and continued playing in HDB void decks even after formal venues reopened.

Similarly, according to Mothership, table tennis thrived in other grassroots initiatives. Since 2016, the Yishun free-play table tennis zone has grown from just four retired void-deck players into a well-organised, inclusive space. By 2023, it features eight tables, three modified for wheelchair users, donated equipment, and volunteer coaches, welcoming a diverse mix of players from children and elderly participants to para-athletes, residents, and tourists.

Such examples highlight table tennis’s adaptability and participation that persisted beyond formal venues, showing that booking numbers alone don’t fully capture the sport’s true popularity. This commitment likely helped the sport retain interest and rebound quickly once facilities reopened.