PELOTA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 November 1938, Page 5

PELOTA

NATIONAL GAME OF BASQUES. Chiquito, of Cambo, a pleasure resort in the Basque country, is the W. G. Grace of pelota, the national game of the Basques. A benefit game was recently held for him in celebration of his fortieth year of pelota. Chiquito was unknown until one day, in 1898, at the age of 17, he challenged the hitherto unbeaten pelota champion, Chistera Arrue. He backed his -challenge with a wager of 1,000 ■gold francs, and in spite of all. the local prophets, he ran out victor with 50 points to 25. Overnight he became famous in France, Spain and South America, where pelota is played. King Edward VII, who during his frequent visits to Biarritz used to like to attend pelota matches in different parts of the Basque country, was a great friend of Chiquito, and at one time there was a question of the erection of a pelota court in the grounds of Buckingham palace. Pelota is played with a ball slightly smaller than a tennis ball but not so small as a golf ball. It is struck with the hand, with a short wooden bat, or with a long basket arrangement attached to the hand, against a wall. The hand game is played with both hands, and the ball has to be struck very hard to make it carry and rebound from the wall, and a point is scored every time an opponent fails to replay the ball. The other two forms cause players to stand farther from the wall. Every village in the Basque country has its “fronton” or wall against which pelota is played.