Table tennis is as popular as ever in Birmingham this summer, not only with the sport featuring at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games, but also flourishing among many local partners, businesses and public spaces who are embracing the sport and providing tables to play on, for free! 

The latest addition to public tables is Paradise Birmingham, Chamberlain Square (pictured above). Paradise Birmingham, the £1.2 billion development in the heart of the city, brings free street table tennis for the public to access from July 12 until August 31. The square will host two tables (with bats and balls) available for the public.

To join in the fun, simply turn up and grab a bat, an opponent and play – absolutely free of charge! You can also find other places to play and keep updated on all things Commonwealth Games via the Table Tennis England website.

Colin Eley, Partnerships Manager at Table Tennis England said: “The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games is an exciting opportunity to raise awareness and expose more people to a fantastic sport and any opportunity or location we are able to raise participation, strengthen communities and improve well-being is much appreciated. We’re so pleased to be working with Paradise Birmingham on this Summer plans to celebrate Table Tennis and the Commonwealth Games.”

Ping! Birmingham boasts more than10 public locations where members of the public can play for free and is run in partnership with many different local partners, Paradise Birmingham being the most recent.

Caroline Rudge, of the Paradise Birmingham development team, said: “Everyone at Paradise is looking forward to a busy summer ahead with the 2022 Commonwealth Games taking place here in Birmingham. Chamberlain Square is getting dressed to impress visitors from around the world and with the addition of Ping! tables located here in the heart of the city there will be another reason to spend time in Paradise.

“Chamberlain Square is a great location to stop off on a lunch or dinner break, take time out from a busy day, or to just meet up with friends, family or colleagues. With a range of restaurants and bars across the estate, Paradise is the perfect place to house the tables and we expect them to be busy!” 

As well as free play, the Chamberlain Square tables will play host to StreetTT with a number of events taking place including, meet up and lay events, masterclasses and tournaments. Connect with StreetTT and find out when tournaments and events are taking place by following on Instagram. See the videos of StreetTT on YouTube. Get involved in the Birmingham Table Tennis chat group on Telegram.

Why not host an event to provide an opportunity for new people to get into table tennis and create a lasting legacy from the Commonwealth Games? We’ve created a toolkit to help organisations and individuals stage events – click here to download a toolkit.