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Buenos Aires, Argentina. The “Basilio Balda” and “Vicente del Rio” Xare tournaments were held at the end of October at the trinquetes of the Laurak Bat and Gure Etxea Basque clubs in Buenos Aires and at Euzko Etxea of La Plata.  After ten years, the tournaments returned to the coast where 25 teams from Europe and South America participated.

[One of the games played at the Gure Etxea club, on October 23 (photo Mora Elizalde)]

The “Basilio Balda” and “Vicente del Rio” tournaments, named in honor of two great Xare players, coincided with other activities like a roundtable in Basque that was attended by players and other people interested in this handball style fans.

[The roundtable took place at Laurak Bat.  There 15 people gathered including some players, coaches, as well as Basque teachers and students.  Throughout the talk, various themes were discussed including sports (scoring system, characteristics of trinkets, championships, training), how to make racquets and balls (materials, process of fabrication, measurements), how the leagues work in the Basque Country and France, the difference between Xare’s situation in Iparralde and Hegoalde and questions related to the Basque Selection (photo Copa del Rio/Balda)]

Tournament Results:

Balda Tournament 2013:

Gold Medal: USSPA, from Donapaleu-St. Palais with Mathieu Bordenave and Bixente Etchebest Silver Medal: Endaiarrak, from Hendaia, with Nicolas Sansebastian and Vincent Baudias Bronze Medal: Noizbait, from Hazparne-Hasparren, with Jon Larronde and Peio Larramendy.

Rio Tournament 2013:

Gold Medal:  Noizbait 1, from Hazparne-Hasparren, with Olivier Laberdesque and Ramuntxo Bortheyrou

Silver Medal: Hardoytarrak 1, from Angelu-Anglet, with Bruno Driolet and Cyprien Ducos

Bronze Medal: Pelote Ogeuloise, from Ogeu, with: Damien becas and Vincent Bernat.

In both tournaments, Argentinean doubles-teams from Laurak Bat-Gure Echea, Alan Correa and Nicolas Sanabria in the Balda Cup and Miguel Coluccio and Santiago Gramajo in the Rio Cup, made it to the semifinals “in an excellent showing that shows the high international level of our players,” from the centers. At the award’s ceremony for the Rio Cup, Roberto “El Colorado” Elias, five-time Xare world champion and an Argentinean sports wonder, did the honors. 

Looking to the future, the events in both Buenos Aires and La Plata served to begin work on a regular tournament of this sort, guaranteeing competition between athletes in other countries.  In relation to this Pablo Ubierna, one of the organizers told EuskalKultura.com that even if the next date has yet to be decided, holding them in Argentina every 2-3 years was discusses with financial help on behalf of entities in Iparralde.  The goal of promoting sports was also broached, and Ubierna told us that he is working on a book on the history of Xare in Argentina and under the direction of well-known filmmaker Dieguillo Fernandez, that a film of the 2013 tournaments will be made.

Anyone who would like to learn how to play, or practice Xare in Argentina can do it at the Xare School at Euzko Etxea Basque Club in La Plata and at the Laurak Bat Club in Buenos Aires.  It has also been announced that the directors of Xare in these clubs and the Confederation of Basque Pilota in Argentina are also interested in opening new schools and offer their support to interested institutions.  All the tournament photos can be seen on the Facebook page “Copas del Rio Balda.”