16 Pelota / Betfair Education / 18 March 2008 / Leave a comment

Basque pelota was an official Olympic sport in the 1900 Paris Games, and a demonstration sport in 1924, 1968 and 1992. The World Cup, organized by the International Basque Pelota Federation takes place every 4 years since 1952, but it is played by amateur pelotaris.

The professional pelota circuit where all the top players gather to display the very best of the game and battle it out for a very peculiar trophy: a black beret - the pelota equivalent to the green jacket (in fact, the Basque for champion is "txapeldun", literally the beret holder). The main competitions in which these berets are awarded throughout the year are:

- The 4 and ½: AKA "the cage", as it´s played in the front half of the court. Only the very best players, the fastest of them all can win this championship. The pace of the game is faster than in any other hand discipline, and it´s usually where the young promising players display their full potential. It takes place between October and December and it´s the next big event of the pelota calendar. Keep an eye on Martínez de Irujo (recovered from his injury) and Olaizola II on this one, they played last year´s final in one of Betfair´s most popular and tightly-contested pelota markets so far.

- The Manomanista por parejas (hand-to-hand doubles): this is the top doubles competition, where the veterans of the game get to teach the youngsters a lesson or two. The pairs are usually made up of one veteran player (over 30), and a younger player (under 30), although this isn't a rule and the team formed by Titín III (38) and Lasa III (35) is probably the most feared of them all. Whenever Titín III plays doubles, he's an odds-on favourite to win, and when he teams up with Lasa III he is virtually unbeatable. The Manomanista por parejas takes place between January and March. Keep an eye on these two guys and you're on the right road to making a profit!

- The Manomanista (hand-to-hand): The Champions League of pelota takes place between April and June, and is by far the most renowned tournament of the year. The best 16 players of the year are divided into four groups, with each group winner progressing to the semifinals. Xala, the leading French player on the professional circuit went close last year, but it's worth keeping an eye on Patxi Ruiz (in fine form this season) and Olaizola II.