• Table Tennis—How A New Sport Was Born
• The History of the Hungarian Team Winning 73 Gold Medals
• By Laszlo Bellak
• ©Copyright 1990, 124 pages
• Hardcover, $7.95

After World War I, Hungary was in a shambles. They quickly went to rebuilding Hungary and sports of all kinds became a national hobby. During this time, table tennis became a very popular recreation and table tennis parlours opened up all over the country. Soon thereafter, Hungary started a dynasty in table tennis that resulted in 70 World Championships before 1938. Laszlo Bellak was a leading player during this golden age of table tennis in Hungary.

Bellak was born in 1911 in Budapest, Hungary. He began playing table tennis at 13, and at 17 he won a World Table Tennis Championship and was soon touring the world giving table tennis exhibitions. In 1937 and ’38 he won the U.S. Open Men’s Singles Championships, and in the subsequent years he won 23 additional U.S. Championship titles.

During World War II Bellak volunteered for the U.S. Army in which he served for 5 years. He was a Staff Sergeant in the Army Engineers and for 2 1/2 years was stationed in India. He was decorated three times and was honorably discharged with the Victory Medal.

In 1950m, Bellak settled in Miami where he established a prestigious lithography studio, Bellak Color Corporation. The company, with 50 employees, still exists under his name but, at 78, Bellak chose to retire in order to return to the world of international table tennis where he is still winning titles.

• Chapters Include:
• 1927 to 1938 World Championships
• World Tours Australia, New Zealand, & India
• The English Tour 1936
• Tour De France
• Trick Shots
• Music Hall (Exhibitions)