Jon Zulaika's debut

Winter season is not the best time for jai alai in the Basque. Very few partidos take place. Frontons and players in a hibernation state. People waiting for overseas news. Will Orlando be open? When? How long?. How about Miami? It seems that they are going to close the place for some time, rehabilitate it and then open again. Is that good?

During Christmas two tournaments have taken place in the Basque. Instead of making a single tournament in which both companies, Master Jai and Jai Alive, would include their best players, for whatever the reason two separated tournaments were organized.
       Hernandez and Zulaika

   Last week at Durango, members of two families contending each other, Aimar and Felix The Old Lion played the final partido against Alberdi brothers. Aimar and 47 years old Felix beated Alberdi brothers 35 to 25. Aimar and Felix, nephew and uncle, demonstrated their superiority winning without little opposition from competitors.

On the other hand, Jai Alive's tournament is still being played. Next wednesday finals will be played at Markina's University. Egiguren II and Aritz will meet Garcia and Arriaga. The clear favorites are Egiguren and Aritz. Egiguren is much superior to any front-courter that plays for Jai Alive.

For the third and fourth place Foronda and Konpa will play against Zulaika and Hernandez. A very interesting partido because Zulaika will play his fourth partido as a pro.

This is good news because it is not very often you see young players making their debut in the Basque Country . To the contrary, last one doing it was 2 years ago, his name is Aizpitarte, right now he's playing in Miami and doing well according to the info given by our friends over clubfronton.

Why is that, why companies in the Basque don't give young kids the opportunity to make their debut?

In my opinion, there are a few reasons.

1. To begin with, jai alai activity except during summer time is scarce. In the past frontons in places like Barcelona used to operate on a daily basis, not anymore. Young kids had the opportunity to play hundreds and hundreds partidos before departing overseas.

2. There are too many veterans available in the Basque for few performances. Therefore, management prefers to include in their schedules matured players that left behind their Florida experience instead of hiring inexperienced ones.

In other words, companies prefer not to take any risks.

Not always, though. In Zulaika's case Jai Alive has taken the "risk". And according with the results it's very clear that both parties have reasons to be happy. Even though Zulaika has lost his three partidos, he played tete a tete, he has demonstrated that he's got the potential to be a top player. He is just 18 years old. With that age it's not an easy task to play against people like Foronda and Egiguren, top players. By the way, that's another reason why management is not for the labor of giving the chance to top aficionados to become pro. When they do it, they have to do it against these stars. And no all young amateurs are prepared. Zulaika may be an exception.

Pelota Federations should find a solution in which young players could compete among professionals without losing their amateur status. Young prospects need to get involved in high quality games, the amateur field does not offer that.

I'm sorry to say but I rather see playing young prospects involved with the pros than veteran players that long ago found their limitations as players. Jai Alai needs young blood badly.

Oh! before I forget it, and in the spirit of full disclosure, young Zulaika is my son, the nephew of Miami's Zulaica. It's such a pleasure to see that the saga continues. Jon Zulaika will join Dania's roster in May. Good luck, Jon, and enjoying as much as I did playing jai alai.