Four years after a World Cup in Barcelona where the French selection had won 15 medals, including five gold, the competition organized in four municipalities of the French Basque Country must convince that "the pelota has evolved", underlines the president of the International Federation, Xavier Cazaubon.
These ball games, which have their origins in tennis, are played indoors or outdoors, with their bare hands or using various instruments.
Among the best known are the large chistera, a kind of wicker glove with a curved and elongated shape which allows the ball to be thrown at more than 300 km/h, or the full gum paleta (commonly called "pala"), similar to a racket in wood.
To display a more modern face and seduce the International Olympic Committee, which preferred breakdance as an additional sport for the Paris Games in 2024, pelota is betting on frontball, a specialty "the least known in France but the most widespread in the world", explains Lilou Echeverria, president of the French Federation.
It appears for the first time on the program of this 19th edition of the world championships, the fifth organized in France.
In this discipline, played one against one, against a wall and by hand, 28 delegations will compete, coming in particular from Jamaica, Cambodia, Bosnia, Togo or Canada.
A "necessary establishment" in countries where the pelota has never been practiced, to "avoid its disappearance", believes Xavier Cazaubon.
Feminization
Renewal also involves disabled sport, which will appear in 2022 as a demonstration sport with six athletes, and feminization, sine qua non conditions for claiming Olympic status, which pelota has touched on as a demonstration sport on three occasions. (in 1924 in Paris, 1968 in Mexico and 1992 in Barcelona).
Maite Ruiz on July 13, 2019 during the San Fermin Championships in Pamplona, northern Spain.
JAIME REINA AFP/Archives
In France, 20% of licensees are women.
A number still insufficient but "which starts from afar", observes Lilou Echeverria.
Historically very masculine, pelota is gradually opening up its various disciplines to female players.
It is also a first for this World Cup: cesta punta players - a specialty played with the large chistera indoors, in a "jaï-alaï", a long pediment with a "wall on the left" where the ball can bounce back - will be competing, with teams from Mexico, France and Spain.
Another novelty, on the technical level, instruments made of composite materials, such as carbon fiber palates, will be authorized.
In addition to its 15,000 members in France and as many in Spain, pelota is also very popular in many South American countries.
The Frenchman Antton Monce (in the foreground) associated with his compatriot Bixente Cubiat (on the left) against the Mexicans Orlando Diaz (on the right) and Martin Cabello on October 26, 2019 in the final of the Basque pelota world team championships in Pau (Pyrenees -Atlantic).
Iroz Gaizka AFP/Archives
"In the Americas, the number of players is around two million," said the president of the International Federation.
This geographical distribution, explains Xavier Cazaubon, "is the fruit of the diaspora of the Basque community, which was exported with its sport".
Pelota is thus on the menu of the Pan-American, Central-American and South-American Games.
The French Federation hopes that this World Cup at home will be "a locomotive" to "attract the youngest and a new audience".
The revival will also go through increased media coverage.
"And for that, we need history, dramaturgy and stars", lists Xavier Cazaubon.
With its 82 athletes, the vast majority of whom are not professional, France will be the largest delegation, followed closely by Spain and Mexico.
© 2022 AFP