A decline in ping-pong in France: rumour or reality? (1934-1939)

In France during the 1930s, sports leisure activities were progressively expanding. Table tennis experienced a surge of popularity in 1932-1933, in particular in the back rooms of drinking establishments. Yet from 1934, there was a dip in the number of spectators attending table tennis events, in its practice in clubs, in articles about it in the press, and in the market for table tennis gear. This study analyses whether this indicated a true decline in the sport or if the picture was more complex, reflecting differences between institutional sport and recreational leisure activities, as well as an effect of the press contributing to the lower visibility of table tennis.