Columbus Table Tennis Club draws from diverse immigrant communities

The light Plock of a ping pong ball sailing from Racquet to Racquet Echoes through the Warehouse that has become an Olympic-regulated round Robin.

Ahad Sarand uses his right hand to steady his wheelchair’s grip and gracefully maneuvers his body to anticipate his opponent Jane Lie’s return, while his left hand grabs a paddle and makes Lie work for it.

Read’s sneakers squeak on the linoleum as the neon lights reflect the sweat pooling on Sarand’s temples. He shifts his chair from side to side before deftly bouncing a ball out of Lie’s reach.

Across the gym, members of the Columbus Table Tennis Club warm up before their Weekly round Robin tournament begins. Pillars bearing flags from around the world – from Sri Lanka to Sweden, Iran and so many more – divide each Courtyard.

“It’s a bit like the United Nations,” said Lie, the club’s president.

The club has been around since the late 1950’s and now operates as a non-profit organization open seven days a week with approximately 80 members in the Columbus area, Originally from 23 different countries.

Lie, 59, was born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, graduated from Ohio State University and joined the club 34 years ago. But he’s been playing table tennis since he was nine and has been president of the club for the past decade.

“The club,” he said, “belongs to the players.”

On a brisk December night, these players trade jabs, laughs and volleys in the brightly lit gym at their East Side club. They range in age from 17 to 84 years and are made up of immigrants and natives from Columbus, novices and Paralympians.