That seems odd that they don't have the light included in the table building instructions anymore. We have a light over our table, but we practice at my house, at different times of day, so I don't feel like the overhead ceiling light would be enough to provide consistent light. The table light makes it so that the lighting is consistent all the time, whether it's day or night. I also feel like even if a tournament didn't have lights over the table, it's still going to be daytime and probably in a room like a gym or auditorium with bright fluorescent lights. If you practice in a school classroom with bright lights in the daytime, it may not be as much of an issue.