Thoughts on a game

Chasing a table tennis ball across the floor the other evening, sent my questioning thoughts in all directions too!
... What made someone first think of hitting a round object with a bit of wood??!
…. Who first had the idea of playing table-tennis?
…. Which came first, the game or the bats and/or balls?
…. Who decided what size the table should be?
or what shape the bats should be?
and what colour and size the ball should be?
and how the high the net should be?
And Why??
… Who decided on the scoring system?
… What year was it first played? and where?
… Is it still played exactly as it was, or has it evolved?

I suppose, the same questions could be asked of any game.

Strange isn`t it, how one question leads to another, when one starts thinking about something.