Unlike some other sports, Ping-Pong players don’t experience broken bones or concussions. He knows several octogenarians who regularly play and excel. They’ve been playing for so long that they know exactly where the ball is going to land and are ready for it.
“As long as I’m alive, I’m playing,” says Dr. Magid.
Carol Patton is a freelance writer based in Las Vegas.
Editor’s note: Listen to Dr. Magid talk about Ping-Pong .
Ping-Pong Diplomacy
The sport is also credited for opening up diplomatic relations between China and the U.S. One of Dr. Magid’s coaches served on the American Ping-Pong team and traveled with his teammates to China with President Nixon during the era of Ping‑Pong diplomacy. In 1971, the team was invited by its Chinese competitors to visit the People’s Republic for the World Table Tennis Championship.