Lin Dan is the only badminton player to win three consecutive World Championship titles from 2006-2009. Badminton is a very popular sport in China, where many players have found international success. Baseball was introduced to China in 1864 but was banned under Mao from 1959-1974 when the sport was restarted. Table tennis involves hitting a ball back and forth using paddles on a divided table. Points occur when a player fails to return the ball properly.