I'm a table tennis lover based in Toronto, ON, Canada. My relationship with table tennis started when I was 12 years old, when I began going to a local table tennis club in Vietnam. I didn't know it at the time, but that little club would become the beginning of a lifelong passion.
The passion never went away
Like many Asian kids, my parents wanted me to focus on school. They wanted me to get into a good high school, attend a top university, and build a successful career.
Becoming an athlete was never really part of the plan.
And honestly, I wasn't exactly built like an athlete when I was young. I was physically pretty weak, and there was no guarantee that I would ever become a successful table tennis player.
But there was one thing that never changed: I loved playing.
Even through high school and university, when studying and other responsibilities took up most of my time, I kept playing. I kept training whenever I could. Years passed, but my passion for table tennis never died. If anything, it became stronger.
I'm probably a little too obsessed with table tennis
Playing is only part of it.
When I'm not at the table, I'm probably doing something related to table tennis anyway.
I enjoy assembling rackets, trying different rubbers and blades, comparing equipment, testing different setups, and sharing what I discover with friends.
When I have free time, you'll often find me at a community centre playing with whoever happens to be there. And when I want more competitive games, I'll head to a local club and play with stronger players.
I've been fortunate to meet national-level, provincial-level, and advanced players along the way. Training and playing with them has taught me a lot, and I'm genuinely grateful for the people I've met through this sport.
That's how Pong Home started
One day, while I was playing at a community centre, a kid came up to me and asked if I could coach him.
My first thought was, I'm not a coach. Am I even good enough to coach someone? and I don't even have the time, I have a 9 to 5 job.
But then I thought about all the advanced players and coaches I had met through table tennis.
So I thought, why not connect them?
That simple idea became Pong Home.
I started Pong Home to connect players with coaches and help people find the right training opportunities.
But eventually, it became much more than that.
Building something for table tennis
I've always wanted to build something useful for the table tennis community. So I started developing tools and resources that I wished existed for players.
I built the Gear Index, where players can explore and compare table tennis rubbers and blades, understand different equipment characteristics, and find setups that fit their playing style.
I also built the Marketplace, where players can buy and sell used table tennis equipment and give their gear a second life.
There are always more ideas.
Some are big. Some are small. Some probably make no business sense at all.
But if I think something could make the table tennis community a little better, I enjoy building it.
From a passion project to a growing community
What started as a small personal project in Toronto has grown beyond what I originally imagined.
Pong Home now reaches players not only across Canada, but throughout North America and Europe, with thousands of visits every day.
But despite the growth, the heart of Pong Home hasn't changed.
It is still a non-profit passion project.
I've invested a lot of my own time, money, and energy into building and maintaining it. I don't do it because it is the most logical business decision.
I do it because I genuinely enjoy it.
I love table tennis. I love building things. And I love meeting people who are just as passionate about the sport.
For me, Pong Home is a way to bring all three together.