The lightning fast game of table tennis will be sure to delight audiences during the 2012 London Olympics television coverage.
While China is the team to beat in these Olympics, Germany has one of the world's best players ready to take the gold medal. The United States has yet to ever win a medal at table tennis, but 2012 represents a golden opportunity with 16-year-old ping-pong Olympians Ariel Hsing and Lily Zhang and 15-year-old Erica Wu all poised to achieve medal glory in London.
Table tennis became an official Olympic sport in 1988, and since then China has owned the rest of the world, collecting 20 of the 24 possible gold medals in the Summer Olympics played since then. The top five ranked men's and women's table tennis players in the world are all from China.
Here is the television schedule for Olympic table tennis -- all are EDT. Check local affiliates for channel information in your area for the men's singles gold medal match on the NBC broadcast network.
Saturday, July 28
5 a.m. to 6 a.m.: Qualifying round table tennis matches on NBC Sports Network - NBCSN
2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.: Qualifying round table tennis matches with members of Team USA on MSNBC
Sunday, July 29
9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: Table tennis match involving members of Team USA on MSNBC
Monday, July 30
1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.: Table tennis match involving members of Team USA on MSNBC
Tuesday, July 31
9 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.: Women's quarterfinal match on MSNBC
4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Women's semifinal match on MSNBC
Wednesday, August 1
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.: Women's singles gold medal match on MSNBC
Thursday, August 2
1:30 p.m. to 2:20 p.m.: Men's singles semifinals match on NBC Sports Network - NBCSN
Friday, August 3
12:35 a.m. to 1:35 a.m.: Men's singles gold medal match on NBC broadcast network - NBC Late Night
Sunday, August 5
9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m.: Men's team quarterfinal match on MSNBC
Monday, August 6
10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.: Women's team semifinal match on MSNBC
12:15 p.m. to 1 p.m.: Men's team semifinal match on MSNBC
Tuesday, August 7
2 p.m. to 2:40 p.m.: Women's team gold medal match on MSNBC
Wednesday, August 8
7:45 a.m. to 9 a.m.: Men's team bronze medal match, joined live in progress on NBC Sports Network - NBCSN
1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Men's team gold medal match Live on MSNBC
Source: http://www.nbcolympics.com
Steven Holmes is an enthusiastic fan of the Summer Olympics, and has attentively watched the last seven Summer Olympic games.
