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Surprising Celebrities
Who Love Playing Ping Pong
Ping pong, or table tennis, is a very popular sport both casually and professionally. There are professional tournaments and competitions, where athletes demonstrate the results of their training and compare themselves against others. On the other end of the spectrum, you can reliably visit any college campus and find students playing the game to have some fun between classes.
The game is widely accessible to everyone - and yet you may still be surprised to hear about some popular names that profess a love for the sport.
Celebrities are, despite their privilege and status, people like the rest of us at the end of the day. In this post, we take a look at some of the popular celebrities who love playing Ping Pong.
Let’s jump right into it:
1. Ex-President Barack Obama
Yes, the former President of the United States is a skilled player of Ping pong. The president was caught on camera on a school tour in London. In fact, the President played on the same team as former British Prime Minister David Cameron!
Alan Cooke, a former table-tennis champ, watched footage of his games and commented on Obama’s control and technical skill. Apparently his grip is too tight, which limits his flexibility.
Fun fact, the 44th President of the United States is a lefty!
2. Tom Brady
The football player with the winningest record around is also a fairly competitive ping pong player. Tom Brady, as many know, is the star quarterback for the New England Patriots—and the winner of a half-dozen or so Superbowls.
So how do we know he likes Ping pong? The sport is apparently popular in NFL training camps as a way to unwind after practice. Former player Cam Cleeland has talked about how Brady’s frustration at the table has resulted in a very battered and broken racket—perhaps he isn’t the winningest athlete off the football field.
3. Justin Bieber
The pop star known for his early heartthrob success and later civil disobedience is also apparently an avid table tennis player. In fact, it’s commonly reported that he requires a ping pong table at every venue or with every contract!
He’s also reported to be no slouch when it comes to playing the game; when he took on hip-hop artist Action Bronson, Bieber absolutely decimated him.
4. Daniel Radcliffe
Harry Potter himself is apparently a wizard both on the silver screen and at the Ping pong table. The star actor has spoken multiple times about his love for the sport.
In fact, a 2014 interview with Vogue was conducted while playing the game, and Radcliffe was comfortable rallying both the ball and the interview questions simultaneously (check the video here). His enjoyment of the game runs so deep that he considers Ping Pong to be an appropriate first date activity!
5. Kate Upton
The bombshell model and actress does not seem to be the kind of person you’d normally associate with Ping Pong, is she?
You’d be surprised to find out that she actually incorporated an entire Ping pong tournament into her wedding to Justin Verlander back in 2017!
She explained to USA Today that “It was really important to Justin and me that it feel like we were on a vacation with our closest friends and family.”
It speaks volumes that the game of ping pong was (rightly) considered necessary for that experience.
6. Susan Sarandon
The last entry on the list might come as the biggest surprise! Academy award winner and a Hollywood legend, Susan Sarandon is a table tennis aficionado. And she takes her love for the game to the next level.
She is the co-founder of SPiN - a high profile international chain of Ping Pong lounges.
In her words - "Ping pong cuts across all body types and gender – everything, really – because little girls can beat big muscley guys. You don't get hurt; it is not expensive; it is really good for your mind. It is one of the few sports that you can play until you die."
Wrapping Up
How many of these surprised you? I know they sure surprised me!
You’d never expect that ping pong would be so popular among the “elite” of society, but with the game’s increasing social and professional popularity it’s only a matter of time before this list gets much, much bigger.
What names did we miss that you think should be included?
Please leave a comment below to add to the discussion!
