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Otago Witness, Issue 3994, 30 September 1930, Page 35

Mr James Gibb, inventor of ping-pong, and a famous athlete, who died in England last April, ag;ed 76* left an estate of the gross value or £156,115. He was the founder of the engineering firm of James Gibb and Co.. Ltd., London. Mr Gibb had to do a great deal of experimenting before he created ping-pong as the public knows it (according to the Daily News Chronicle). He began one evening playing with champagne corks and cigar-box lids as bats. Next he tried indiarubber balls covered with white paper. These were not a success, so he had celluloid balls specially made. It took him some time to find someone sufficiently interested to launch the game. Eventually he persuaded some sports outfitters to take it up, and within a few weeks ping-pong be*came the rage.