JAI ALAI

Identity

Jai Alai (cesta punta in spanish) is a basque sport and for a lot of people it is the fastest sport in the world. Its origin comes from Markina-Xemein, a basque town, located in Lea Artibai. What’s more, the court wall of this tiny town is considered as the “university of the ball”.

It is practiced with a 65 cm long basquet which is similar to a glove for the players.

It is played on a court wall and it consists of throwing the ball with the greatest strength possible, then picking it up and sliding it the furthest possible from the player’s body. It is commonly displayed by pairs, although it is possible to do it individually as well.

“University of the ball ” in Markina-Xemein

Jai Alai is very popular all over the world, you can see it in Spain, Philippines, USA (mostly in Florida), France and Mexico. This is very advantageous for the basque folklore as its traditions are widely used.

This is a very complex sport so players must be the best ones. Throughout history the best players have been emigrating to the USA, where the sport is more developed and professional and high quality leagues can be found.

JAI ALAI

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Practical information

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