The Jai Alai League is presented, the unified league of the Iparralde and Hegoalde basket tip championships

Euskaraz irakurri: Jai Alai League aurkeztu dute, Iparraldeko eta Hegoaldeko zesta-punta txapelketen liga bateratua

The tip basket has lived this Monday a day that can be considered as “historical”and that can be a milestone for this sport, since in the run-up to the semifinals of the Eusko Label Winter Series a joint league has been presented that will combine the championships of Iparralde and Hegoalde, and which has been baptized as Jai Alai League.

This presentation has been attended Gaizka Muniategi Y Zigor Etxeberria (Eraman Jai Alai), Frederic Cadet Y Michel Billac (Donibane Lohizune) Lilou Echeverria (Biarritz) and Jean Dominique Olharan (Pau), representatives of the main frontons of Gernika, Iparralde and Pau, respectively.

As they have pointed out, until now, the top basket has been divided into “two main systems“. On the one hand, “the great tournaments of Iparralde, with an indisputable tradition and prestige”, and on the other, those of Hegoalde, being the participating pelotaris “the same ones on both sides of the fence”, but “competing in two different systems“.

From his point of view, “That has been the biggest obstacle to the growth of the punta basket“. However, they emphasize that “with this historic agreement,” present “a unified league“. It will consist of a calendar that will last throughout the year, with a single scoring system and its corresponding ranking.. Also, at the end of the season, the best pelotaris will qualify to play a final phase.

JAI ALAI LEAGUE, “HISTORICAL” UNIFICATION OF IPARRALDE AND HEGOALDE

In this last year, the Jai Alai Winter Series It has brought great visibility to the punta basket, and it has become an event attended by fans from all over the Basque Country. However, in Iparralde the pediments have been filling up for decades. The Biarritz Golden Glove, with its 46 editions, has a great history and a great weight in the society of Iparralde. The same can be said of the Saint Jean de Luz Internationaux, where more than 25,000 fans gather every summer in the months of July and August. Lastly, the magnificent Pau pediment, built in 2006, has become the third pillar of the French circuit and year after year has become more relevant in the puntista world.

It should be remembered that in 2021 the San Juan de Luz, Biarritz and Pau pediments joined forces to create the Summer League. Since then, the International Saint Jean de Luz (International), the Biarritz Golden Glove (Gant D’Or) and the Pau’s Cup (Pau Cup). Now him Winter Series de Gernika joins them, forming together the new competition called Jai Alai League

JAI ALAI LEAGUE 2023

Thus, the first edition of the Jai Alai League It is made up of four main tournaments:

1 – Gernika Winter Series

2 – Saint Jean de Luz Internationals

3 – Biarritz Golden Glove

4 – Cup of Pau

In fact, according to what the organizers have announced, the parties of the Winter Series that are being played in Gernika are already being valid to score in the 2023 edition of the Jai Alai League. The four tournaments will have the same scoring system based on which a ranking will be established, and at the end of the season a final phase of the tournament will be played. jai alai league with the best pelotaris classified in that ranking. In the 2023 edition, the aforementioned final phase will take place in Hegoalde.

PRO AM TOURNAMENTS

Besides of Jai Alai Leaguethey also pretend strengthen Pro Am tournaments. This year, the Eraman Jai Alai company has already organized its first Winter Pro-Am. Now they are looking to take further steps in this direction, following the path of the Iparralde Pro-Tour circuit, already fully established, in which professionals and young amateurs mix.