Before he stands at the court, he prepares himself for the tournament ahead. He pulls out a small screwdriver to unlock his paddle from a small wooden case that is used to protect and lengthen the paddle's use. He takes some practice swings and jumps in place to get his energy up. The first match is upon him. His competitor is already waiting for him inside the enclosed court. His shirt is drenched in sweat.
For some, table tennis, or ping-pong, isn't considered a serious athletic sport. Do not tell that to the participants in Titan Recreation's Table Tennis Tournament.
The tournament took place Tuesday in the new Student Recreation Center. It was scheduled to have 16 participants. Only six players showed up to the event, but the low turnout did not stop the tournament play and competition.
Attitudes were light and opposition was friendly. Often, competitors would tell each other what they were doing wrong and how to improve their swing and footwork. Some players stood nearly five feet away from the court, stomping with every step to chase the next ball. Before each serve, they hold the ball and paddle in a praying-mantis-like position while staring at the ball as if sending a telepathic message, telling it where it should land.
A few of the participants play in outside leagues and are frequent visitors to the Titan Student Union Underground Pub, which at the moment is the only place on campus where table tennis enthusiasts can play. However, according to some of the participants, carpeted floors do not give you much traction and space is limited. With the new Recreation Center, they hope competitive table tennis can grow on campus. This may seem like great news for those who float in and out of the Pub with no organized club to call their own.
Moritz Pfeiffer is one of these individuals. With a towel around his neck and a shirt that reads "We Are The Champions," he adjusts his glasses and looks at the game taking place before him. An exchange student from Germany studying business, Pfeiffer has played table tennis since he was 8.
"It's too bad it's not a major sport here in campus, [or] in America for that matter. In Europe and Asia, table tennis is huge," Pfeiffer said. "I'm excited to go back home so I can feel that energy again."
Pfeiffer is a member of a junior league in Germany. He said he has found it difficult to adjust to the atmosphere at Cal State Fullerton.
"It's hard to find good players -- even amongst 40,000 students. [There is] no real training here," Pfeiffer said. "Training to me involves coaches, trainers [and] a gym full of tables. Here, I'm playing in a racquet ball court … but it's better than nothing."
He said he admits that although it is a fun sport and more people should participate, he thinks that a style and difficulty level like that of his and other players intimidates people who show up to play casually. Vincent Truong, another participant of tournament, agrees after having a hard time finding a practice partner.
"No one could return back to me," Troung said. "You start to lose your reflex skills because of that. People say, 'You hit too hard.'"
Last semester, a table tennis tournament was held at the TSU. Pfeiffer played in the final game against Albert Huang. Pfeiffer lost, but gained a peer in Huang.
"It's a real sport," Huang said. "It's harder than people think."
Huang watches one of his friends, James Lee, a casual player, compete against the hard-hitting Truong.
"James is going to lose," Huang said. "He just came to have fun."
Huang's prediction came true as Lee was swept in three sets, but Lee walked out proud to have scored a point in each match.
The final match was between Huang and Truong. Huang ended up victorious and retains his title as the CSUF champion, a title earned last semester. He left walking away with a Recreation Sports Champion T-shirt, high-fives, and, of course, respect.
"I still need the T-shirt I won from last semester," Huang said. "I'm a finance manager, so I expect interest."
