"April is the cruellest month," T.S. Eliot warned. Obviously, he wasn't a table tennis player. The fourth month of the year is a paddler's paradise. The celebration begins on April 6 with World Table Tennis Day. Launched by the ITTF in 2015, this global celebration of our favorite sport emphasizes fun and inclusiveness, underscoring the theme of "Table Tennis for ALL." According to the ITTF Foundation, "The term 'ALL' means more people, but not only that, also different kinds of people in terms of age, gender, social status, culture and physical ability." The 2018 edition of World Table Tennis Day succeeded in involving over 95,000 players in 97 countries, doubtlessly inspiring countless future players. Speaking of inspiring players, the best of the best will gather April 21-28 for the World Table Tennis Championships in Budapest, Hungary. China's Ding Ning and Ma Long will be looking to defend their singles titles amid a hungry field of challengers. Whatever the outcome, the participants and spectators in these vernal events will certainly be inspired to train harder and strive to reach new goals. These allegations of April's cruelty surely seem overstated, and perhaps even libelous. Can you imagine the world without table tennis? It would truly be a waste land.

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