Ping Pong “Drug” Banned: Players Angry
August 20, 2008
“You breathe it too much and you begin to lose your balance. It is a bit like a table tennis drug,” said Peter Gardos, an Austrian coach, reacting to a new regulation being implemented by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). Professional table tennis players oftentimes use a special glue before every match to attach new rubber coverings to their paddles.
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The glue, according to players, adds to the quickness and high-speed tempo as the chemicals allegedly produce a catapult-like effect to the ball. Some players refer to the glue as “speed glue” because of this.
The ITTF has taken this precaution due to a Japanese professional table tennis player collapsing and going into a coma for six days, after allegedly inhaling the fumes.
“If you glue once a week, or maybe even once a day, it would not have been so important. But they are gluing 10 times a day and then it could be a problem,” said Claude Bergeret, ITTF vice president.
“The ball will be slower,” said Crystal Xi Huang a Team USA player (check out her exclusive profile in AsianWeek), “there won’t be so much spin.”
“It will be tougher for players who block and attack, and easier for choppers,” said Romania’s Iulia Necula.
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