Site Products
WAB Featured Club: Pongplanet 6th Anniversary

WAB Featured Club: PongPlanet 6th Anniversary

WAB Featured Club: PongPlanet 6th Anniversary
(by Bruce Liu)

According to Business Insider, 99.7% of all business in the US are small businesses (less than 100 employees).  Twenty percent of them fail in the first year, 30% in year two, and 50% by the fifth year.

Congrats to PongPlanet for reaching their 6th anniversary. It’s a milestone for the sport of table tennis in the Bay Area. It is also a true story of American Dream. A teenager literately brought nothing but a ping pong racket to the U.S. and has become a successful business owner and a dad. It’s an inspiring story!

James Guo, aka Guo Xi, came to the U.S. in late 2005 after the BASOC (Bay Area Sport Organization Committee), lead by CEO Anne Cribbs and assisted by Dennis Davis, secured the bid for the 2007 Stanford World Junior Championships. It was the beginning of an era. The influx of young professional players and coaches since have changed the sport in the U.S. forever.

James had been a professional player since before he became a teenager. He attended a table tennis school unlike the majority of the kids in China. He understood the importance of education. While coaching full-time, he completed his GED requirements in the U.S.  While some people in the U.S. may take education for granted, it was no small feat.

Of course, James most impressive accomplishment is being a dad. He is happily married with a child. PongPlanet is not just surviving — with the addition of James’ new partner John Tuiasosopo, they are thriving. The 6th Anniversary was marked by a fun event with food, drinks, prizes, and a tournament. We expect to see many more anniversary events in the years to come.

Happy Birthday PongPlanet!

 

Photos of the PongPlanet 6th Anniversary Event:

Latest News

Team Canada U19 Girls Secure Gold at Pan Am Youth Championship

August 31, 2025
(by Bowmar Sports, photo ITTF America) Canada’s U19 Girls’ Table Tennis Team made headlines at the 2025 ITTF… Read More

TTBL: Kanak Starts Strong, Zhendong Faulters in First Week of German League

August 31, 2025
(by Steve Hopkins) USA’s Kanak Jha was one of four players to start the German League season 2-0. … Read More

Be Part of the MLTT Rally Crew

August 29, 2025
(by: Major League Table Tennis) Bring your energy and love for the game Major League Table Tennis kicks… Read More

When Do Most Errors Happen?

August 29, 2025
Robot plays short backspin to Backhand, Jhon Backhand push to long Backhand, robot plays very spinny topspin to… Read More

Back Up a Little Bit More

August 27, 2025
Robot plays short backspin ball to Forehand, Jhon Forehand push to long Forehand, robot plays very spinny topspin… Read More

My Road To The 2025 US National Champion by Sally Moyland

August 26, 2025
(by Sally Moyland) I was leading 3:1 in sets in the women’s single final at the US National… Read More

Take the Ball Off the Bounce

August 25, 2025
Robot plays short backspin to Forehand, Jhon Forehand push to long Forehand, robot plays very spinny topspin to… Read More

Eleven Tips For Playing Against a Quicker Opponent

August 25, 2025
(By Larry Hodges) We’ve all had those matches where the opponent was just quicker, and we felt rushed… Read More
View All News

Get the latest from Butterfly

Stay “In The Loop” with Butterfly professional table tennis equipment, table tennis news, table tennis technology, tournament results, and We Are Butterfly players, coaches, clubs and more.