Numerous civilizations have played different variations of the Pelota game.
The Basques similarly adapted the game to them own characteristics, making a number of modifications and creating new modalities, and playing equipment...
The roots of the Basque pelota can be traced to the Greek and other ancient cultures.
The advance of the Roman Empire took the game "pila" to french territory.
Its subsequent evolution would derive into "jeu de paume", which in turn became the direct predecessor of the current Pelota game.
15th - 16th century: The game spreads troughout Europe and across the Atlantic, becoming popular among the aristocracy.
18th century: It´s banned troughout Iberian peninsula but for the Basque Country, where it becomes a form of cultural expression.
19th century: The use of rubber revolutionizes the game, making it possible for the ball to rebound as it hits the wall. 1880-1900: squares and porticoes are replaced by frontons with left walls and trinquetes.
These then spreads troughtout all over the world under the name of Jai Alai.
1929: The International Federation of Basque Pelota is created.
Countries that play pelota:
Pelota is usually played in the Basque Country, France and some regions of Spain. There are also federations of Basque pelota in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Philippines, Italy, Paraguay, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, United States, Venezuela, Netherlands, Sweden, India and Greece. Due to the origin of the game, there are many good players who are Basques, either natives or from the Basque diaspora.
Pelota in the olympics:
Basque pelota was an official Olympic sport once, in the 1900 Paris Games (Summer Olympics), and a demonstration sport in 1924 (men), 1968 (men) and 1992 (men and women). At the 1900 Summer Olympics only two teams competed, France and Spain, so only one match was played. The Spanish team: Amezola and Villota, beat the French team: Maurice Durquetty and Etchegaray by an unknown score.
Basque pelota was an official Olympic sport once, in the 1900 Paris Games (Summer Olympics), and a demonstration sport in 1924 (men), 1968 (men) and 1992 (men and women). At the 1900 Summer Olympics only two teams competed, France and Spain, so only one match was played. The Spanish team: Amezola and Villota, beat the French team: Maurice Durquetty and Etchegaray by an unknown score.
