A TABLE tennis star has smashed the world record for the number of consecutive players faced in a single rally.
Wen Wei Xu, founder and coach at Brighton Table Tennis Club, faced 117 players of all ages to break the record, previously set at 102 opponents.
The event on Sunday, May 1, was the second time members of the club descended on the Open Market in Brighton to attempt to break the record, having failed its first effort in 2018.
After several restarts due to missed shots, “the market exploded” when the milestone was surpassed.
The club’s director, Tim Holtam, said: “The excitement and tension was palpable from the start. Even experienced players said they were hopeful to return the shot and a little nervous.
“The mood that prevailed though was the sense of fun, inclusion and community, all essential characteristics of everything the club.
“We tried to do this three years ago, and got to about 80 or 90 but we didn’t get there. Today we needed 115 different people to hit the ball back once and move around the table against Wen Wei. This is Wen Wei’s record; he will be the record holder.”
Once the Guinness Book of Records team receives the evidence and confirms the success, Brighton Table Tennis Club and Wen Wei Xu will have made history.
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