The arrival of the ping pong table in early March transformed our common area into a frenetic scene of ping pong mayhem. A double’s tournament was organized and play began instantaneously. It was “the ping heard round the world” with players flying in from as far as India to compete against their fellow Kosmonauts.

Several controversies crept in over the course of the tournament though they didn’t mar the overall integrity of the games. Two-star or three-star balls, does it really matter? In a word: Yes! Accusations raised of team-fixing were quickly assuaged by officials but it has been ruled that match-ups for the upcoming Summer Singles Tournament will be computer generated (Calling all programmers!).

The level of ping pong talent housed in one place is almost hard to imagine. Yan’s barefooted attire and pencil-grip was oft-imitated though never matched. The Kosmix All-Women’s team (Monika and Shweta) were unrelenting in their pursuit of the title until their demise in the third round.

Team tactics ranged from carbo-loading throughout the day, using menacing facial gestures to scare opponents and practicing hours upon hours at home with Wii’s tennis game. Ankur and Bruce demonstrated that a no-nonsense approach of consistent playing, deft handling skills and a bit of good ole’ Irish luck are enough to go the distance- Congratulations to our 2007 Doubles Champions!