Pippa Middleton tells Boris Johnson 'bring it on' for ping-pong challenge

bring it (on)
informal used to express confidence in meeting a challenge:if you want to fight me so bad, bring it on!




Pippa Middleton tells Boris Johnson 'bring it on' for ping-pong challenge

Mayor of London accepts challenge from Kate's sister for table tennis match to prove who has the most competitive family


The Guardian, Wednesday 3 April 2013 21.07 BST


Pippa Middleton quite possibly laughing with delight at the thought of beating Boris at 'whiff-whaff'. Photograph: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images


A clash between two of England's most prominent and ambitious families might hark back to the dynastic wars of the Middle Ages. But Boris Johnson's acceptance of a challenge from Pippa Middleton to a ping pong showdown seems more likely to be It's A Knockout than Game of Thrones.

Middleton, the future queen's sister, has provoked a joking rivalry with the Johnsons, saying she wants to play the London mayor at table tennis to prove who is from the most competitive family.

In a diary piece for the Spectator magazine, Middleton, who has attracted ridicule for her party tips, writes that after taking part in the "haute route", a 180km (111 mile) ski trek from Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland she is free to pursue "less demanding hobbies … such as ping pong".

She then threw down the gauntlet to the mayor, boasting of her prowess as an under-13 competitor in national table tennis championships.

"I'm informed that Boris Johnson, former editor of this magazine, wants to be 'whiff-whaff' world king even more than he wants to be prime minister. I'm also told the Johnsons are almost as competitive as the Middletons. So I'd like to lay down a challenge to the mayor … Bring it on, Boris."

Johnson took to Twitter to accept the challenge, declaring: "I'm game if she is. Happy for Pippa to join me on a visit and see the benefits of our £22m Sports Legacy Fund in action."

The Spectator's gossip columnist later tweeted: "Boris V Pippa. It's on. Pol Roger [champagne] will be served. (…) And Pippa says she 'sensed some nerves' in Boris's reply – game on."

The Middleton family, who run a party planning company, have been criticised for cashing in on their royal connections since Kate Middleton married Prince William and became the Duchess of Cambridge. Pippa Middleton, who first found fame as a result of her figure hugging bridesmaid's dress at the royal wedding, has become better known for her celebrity lifestyle, and last month started writing a column in Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine.

The Johnsons have an even higher media profile. The mayor's sister, Rachel Johnson, is an author and journalist who edits The Lady magazine. Their father Stanley, a former Tory MEP, is not known to shrink from cameras and used to write a column for the Guardian.









倫敦市長強森熱中打乒乓球，曾聲稱乒乓是英國發明。(取材自英國每日郵報)


碧琶求學時期就是乒乓好手。(取材自英國每日郵報)


《Spectator》雜誌刊出碧琶(右)與強森(左)對打的模擬圖。(取材自英國每日郵報)


威廉王子老婆凱特的妹妹碧琶（Pippa Middleton）向倫敦市長強森（Boris Johnson）發出挑戰書，要與他以乒乓球決鬥，決定英國「最打得」家族之名誰屬。強森表示樂於奉陪，「若她肯上場，我當然應戰。」

碧 琶於最新一期《Spectator》雜誌撰文，向強森下戰書。碧琶求學時期已是乒乓好手，曾在15年前參加13歲以下組別全國賽，強森也熱中打乒乓球，曾 聲稱乒乓是英國發明。碧琶在文中道：「我知道強森想當乒乓球世界冠軍的決心，比當上英國首相更強，又有人說強森家族的戰鬥力拍得住我的密道頓家族，所以向 他發戰書。」雜誌還刊出二人對打的模擬圖。

碧琶在戰書中只提出一個條件，就是讓她以當年打全國賽的球拍應戰。《Spectator》雜誌編輯尼爾遜知道強森接受挑戰後，更提醒他碧琶看來很認真，也很有運動細胞。



碧琶及強森的家族均與英皇室有聯繫，碧琶姊姊凱特嫁入皇室，強森家族則為英王喬治二世後代。

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