The great grandson of the man who invented ping pong has blasted London Mayor Boris Johnson for making incorrect statements about the sport’s history.
Joe Jaques, from Edenbridge, claims Mr Johnson did not carry out enough research before speaking at a ceremony to mark the handover of the Olympic flag from Beijing to London.
Comments made about the origins of table tennis were of particular annoyance to Mr Jaques, who is the commercial director of the world’s oldest sports and games manufacturer, Jaques of London.
Towards the end of a rousing speech, Mr Johnson said: “Ping pong was invented on the dining tables of England in the 19th century and it was called whiff whaff.
“There you have the essential difference between us and the rest of the world.
“The French might look at a dining table and see an opportunity to eat. We looked at it and saw the opportunity to play whiff whaff.”
Established by Thomas Jaques in 1795, Jaques of London is credited with inventing numerous world-famous games over the years including snakes and ladders and tiddlywinks.
It also created the Staunton chess set and therefore playing pieces such as the rook and knight.
In 1901, John Jaques III revived the old English parlour game gossima and patented the name ping pong after introducing an easier-to-control plastic ball.
According to his great grandson, whiff whaff was a cheap imitation released about a year later.
He said: “I watched Mr Johnson’s speech on television and I was appalled. It looked like he had carried out some research but not quite enough.
“It’s criminal really and you would have thought he would be better-informed.
“What he said is like saying the English invented the Hoover but at the time it was called a Dyson. Mr Hoover would be furious, just as my family is about this mistake.”
Members of the Chinese press were upset with Mr Johnson’s demeanour during the handover ceremony, as he accepted the Olympic flag with one hand, frequently placed his hands in his pockets and did not button up his jacket.
His speech ended with the line: “I say to the Chinese and the rest of the world that ping pong is coming home, athletics is coming home and sport is coming home.”
Mr Jaques said he found Mr Johnson’s comments disrespectful.
He added: “His speech was hugely patronising about the national sport of China. He suggested it was just an after-dinner pastime when it is also now a hugely competitive sport in our country as well.
“If the mayor is so concerned with the history of the sport, then why has nobody from his office approached the originators and only UK makers of the sport (Jaques of London) and asked about tables for the Olympics yet?”
Mr Jaques said he emailed Mr Johnson’s office with a list of his grievances but had not received a reply.
When contacted by Kent on Sunday, Mr Johnson remained defiant about his speech. He said: "I stand by my assertion that whiff whaff and ping pong are one and the same thing, with the 'whiffs' predating the 'pongs'.
"Regardless of semantics though, it is a sport of which we should be proud and I look forward to watching it in 2012."
POSTED: 31/08/2008 17:00:00
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