The sound of paddles hitting balls onto a table creates an echo throughout the gym, while a crowd of viewers study the match intensely, with their eyes constantly shifting back and forth. This is what a normal day at Ping Pong club looks like. 

Senior Vitor Doi, who founded the club, shares why he decided to provide this experience to students.

“I decided to create a ping pong club to bring together a community for people to play ping pong together at school and not just in their homes,” Doi said.

Sophomore Shashwat Sabapathy explains what values students could take to heart if they join the club. 

“Students have an opportunity to get better and keep playing,” Sabapathy said. “They also have the chance to socialize and have fun watching others when they are waiting, I think the most exciting part is competing against others.”

Doi explains his perspective and what the game means to him. 

“I love the sport of table tennis/ping pong and I wanted to challenge my friends and play them in a match,” Doi said. “This idea was then expanded to a place where everyone could play at any skill level.”

Arhant Wale shares what brought him to join Ping Pong club. 

“It’s my friend’s club, plus it’s fun and you can socialize,” Wale said. “It brings people together we watch the games and cheer each other on, you can also play in duos.”

Doi hopes to keep the socializing and fun going further into the future, so more opportunities will be provided for students to participate. 

“While there are no set dates, we plan to have one more tournament before the end of the quarter,” Doi said. “For next semester, we also plan on scheduling/announcing the tournaments in a more organized/clear manner so members are more informed and prepared.”

Sophomore Shashwat Sabapathy shares why he decided to join the club.

“I played with my brother and dad growing up and loved playing it. It’s also fairly similar to tennis, so my skills kind of transferred over,” Shashwat said. “The club has some of the best participation in the school and shows an opportunity for others to get better.”

There are lots of clubs available to students, but Doi explains why Ping Pong club is different than other groups. 

“Ping pong club creates a community with a shared interest, encourages physical activity, and helps people get better at the sport,” Doi said. “No sign-ups needed! Just follow cnhs.pingpong [on Instagram] and come to the Aux Gym on Friday’s Advisory.”