Those who brought beer pong (“sörpingpong” in Hungarian) to Hungary started by introducing the "sport" to university colleges, and soon the game's newest fans decided to create a Hungarian championship. After initial success, nine higher education institutions sent some forty teams to take part in the second championship. Today, this form of entertainment that builds on alcohol and a good time is a feature at most universities and many pubs around Budapest.
The game itself is rather simple, requiring no great sporting prowess, but rather lots of luck. Two teams of two people play against each other with 10 cups each. The goal is to empty all of the opponent’s cups. If a player lands a ping pong ball in a cup that's set across the table, the opponent has to drink its contents and set it aside.We can easily guess the cup's content by the name of the game (it's not water) so it's easy to see how intoxicated the players can get toward the end of a tournament. Máté Nagy, the general secretary of the Hungarian Beer Pong Association (yes, there is such a thing!) says they use just the amount of beer in the competition to allow participants to head home in a humanlike state after the final whistle.
Competitions are held in Budapest and in several other major cities around the country. The events of the National Beer Pong League (NSL) are characterised by a friendly atmosphere, music and lots of beer. The participants are mostly university and college students, but older players are not uncommon either, and there have been several ladies-only teams, as well.
Maybe it sounds crazy, but beer pong should not be taken lightly. While luck plays a major role, practice will bring results in the long run. When asked what makes the best beer pong player Máté Nagy says: "Usually those who play ball games like basketball, volleyball or handball become the best players. In addition to luck, players need a lot of patience, but the game has a real team building effect too, since you pull your mates with you.” Six people form the management team of the Hungarian Beer Pong Association and their goal is to promote the game as well as civilised beer consumption. There is a hardcore version of the game too, which is played with pálinka (a Hungarian fruit brandy), although of this version there has only been one formal match, and the winner only remembers somehow winning. Of course, younger people and those who don't want to drink alcohol can also play using water or syrup, while for wine-lovers we recommend using fröccs (wine mixed with soda water).
The national finals are currently on (8-9 May). For more details click here. If you love alcohol and love team pub sports be sure to try beer pong – you will not be disappointed!
