POP-UP ping pong tables are returning to Oxford.

Venues are being invited to host the second Ping! Oxford table tennis event after its success last year.

The event runs from July 12 until September 7 and places have the opportunity to keep their tables permanently.

Last year’s Ping! Oxford saw some 21,000 people playing the sport over five weeks in parks, restaurants and community centres.

Organiser Oxford City Council wants to build on the momentum of last year and encourage more people to pick up a bat and have a go.

Templars Square Shopping Centre has already signed up for a second year of Ping!

Centre manager Aaron Bayliss said: “As a shopping centre, we weren’t entirely sure how Ping! would be received in our mall environment, but we decided to take the plunge.

“From the off, any concerns we might have had faded into obscurity, and we were pleased to see the table was in almost constant use.

“It was a great community event, and the table was used by a mix of people, representing the whole of our local community.”

Any venue interested in becoming a Ping! host should register their details by Friday at oxford.gov.uk

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