It sounds like an updated version of the classic board game Clue. Instead of Colonel Mustard in the billiard room with the fireplace poker, however, we get combinations like Omar Assar in the kitchen with a frying pan or Maria Tsaptsios in the rec room with the vacuum. I'll explain. Today is the sixth annual World Table Tennis Day (WTTD). Since its creation by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) in 2015, the celebration held every April 6th has grown steadily. Last year's edition saw a record 700,000 people participating in a record 104 countries. Both records were on pace to be broken yet again this year. Then came a spanner in the works. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world to a grinding halt, leaving cities around the world looking like ghost towns as responsible citizens stay home to prevent further spread of the disease. Instead of canceling the inherently social WTTD, however, the ITTF simply moved the party indoors. Connecting via social media with hashtags such as #SafeTableTennis and #BLOCKcovid19, the ITTF has kept the ping-pong party alive while adapting to the "new normal." One of the novel aspects of WTTD 2020, rechristened "World Table Tennis At Home Day," was the creation of what has been billed as the "World's Longest Table Tennis Rally EVER!" The twist is that the ITTF solicited submissions of home videos of players and fans alike playing table tennis at home. Creativity was encouraged. Then, 293 shots were selected and edited into one epic rally. It all begins innocently enough, with reigning Olympic and world champion Ma Long serving. Then the video cuts to the aforementioned Ms. Tsaptsios, world #191 from England, returning the ball with the cleaning apparatus most abhorred by nature. From there, it is a dizzying montage of trick shots, goofiness and even the occasional professional acting professionally, all shot in the safety of their own homes. There are too many highlights to mention. Click the link below to see everything from bananas to chopsticks being used to return the ball. Under the circumstances, the ITTF has relaxed its regulations for approved equipment. The dizzying sequence is bookended by a finishing shot from Ma Long's compatriot and fellow Grand Slam Champion Zhang Jike. If there is one "do not try this at home" inclusion, it has to be Brazil's world #89 Eric Jouti grabbing a cat by the chest and swinging it hard enough to hit the ball back. While the cat appears unharmed, it seems an irresponsible choice on the parts of both Mr. Jouti and the ITTF to promote such a dangerous display, especially given the high likelihood of copycat behavior. At any rate, the virtual festivities managed to preserve the spirit of World Table Tennis Day while adapting to the grim realities of 2020. While everyone hopes the 2021 edition can be observed al fresco as in years past, the experience of connecting via technology while physically separated has helped strengthen the connections which unite the global table tennis community. In the meantime, Eric Jouti had better watch his back if he doesn't want to wind up in a real-life version of Clue. After all, he is trapped in a house with a sharp-toothed, razor-clawed, unpredictable character, one whom he has just given a motive for murder. The tawdry tabloid headlines will read, "It was Mr. Whiskers in the kitchen with the can opener."

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