PLEASANTVILLE, NEW YORK — Will Shortz is known as a puzzle master during the day and a passionate table-tennis player by night. With over three decades of experience as the New York Times crossword editor and NPR’s puzzle master, Shortz has established himself as a prominent figure in the puzzle world.
Despite his illustrious career in puzzles, Shortz’s true love lies not in solving puzzles but in playing table tennis. His connection with the sport dates back to his childhood, where he spent countless hours playing in his parents’ basement. At one point, he even managed to play table tennis every day for a remarkable 4,141 days straight, which amounts to 11 years and 4 months of continuous play.
In 2011, Shortz, along with his friend Robert Roberts, decided to turn their passion for table tennis into a business venture. The duo, who bonded over their shared love for the sport and had embarked on various table-tennis road trips together, opened the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, New York, a suburb located near New York City.
“I think of our club as being sort of a mini-United Nations of sport, as our members were born in 35 different countries. Members’ ages range from 8 or 9 up to the 90s. Both men and women compete together. We have one member in a wheelchair who’s quite good. And one of our regular tournament players is a five-time paralympian,” Shortz said.
Amoolya Menon, 15, of Chappaqua, is one of America’s top female players for her age. She started playing at a free clinic at the club, likening it to her second home. Menon hopes to make the 2028 American Olympic Ping Pong team.
The club also founded an innovative program for Parkinson’s patients, which now has hundreds of chapters around the world.
“Playing ping-pong has been shown to delay and reduce the effects of Parkinson’s disease,” Shortz explained.
In 2019, the center held the world’s first Ping Pong Parkinson’s Tournament. Since then the tournament has moved all over the globe.
On the elite side, WTTC host the largest monthly table-tennis tournament in North America, drawing players from around the world. Since opening in 2011, they’ve awarded more than $800,000 in prizes — the most by far of any club.
The club is open seven days a week till 10 p.m. and players of all skill levels and ages are welcome.
