Biscayan ball will be more present than in past editions in the Manomanista Championship. Up to three pelotaris from the territory will compete in the tournament, which has not happened since 2009. Mikel Urrutikoetxea, Aitor Elordi and Danel Elezkano will take part in the next individual challenge. Urberuaga, Berasaluze IX, Agirre and Leiza were the representatives of Bizkaia in the one-on-one disputed fourteen years ago, when Martínez de Irujo beat Olaiozola II in the final by 22-12.
Apart from the professionals from Biscay, the presentation of the championship brought other news. When the journalists present in Salinas de Añana saw Aitor Elordi get out of a car together with Laso and Ezkurdia, they realized that something was not going according to plan in Aspe. The Parejas champion declared that “they haven’t called me, so I won’t be in the Manomanista.” All the schemes were blown up when Elezkano II also appeared, eliminated in the previous one by Peio Etxeberria days ago. Aspe lost its two defenders during the afternoon-night of Tuesday and they did not start well a Manomanista that will end on Sunday June 4 with the final in the Bizkaia pediment in Bilbao.
The tournament
Round of 16.
Urrutikoetxea-Elordi (7-04, Lekeitio). Elezkano II-Artola (8-04, Labastida). Etxeberria-Alberdi (10-04, Toulouse). Darío-Aranguren (9-04, Ezcaray)Quarter finals.
Liguilla. (14-04, Azkoitia and 15-04. Pamplona). Ezkurdia-Jaka (16-04, Eibar) Laso-Altuna (23-04, Bilbao). Like-? (22-04, Pamplona). Ezkurdia-? (21-04, Victory)- Ribbon-? (29-04, Pamplona). High II-? (30-04, Eibar). The third day will be contested in Pamplona on May 6 and 13, May 12 (venue to be decided) and May 7 in Bilbao.Semifinals:
May 20 in Pamplona and May 21 (place to be decided). Third and fourth place: May 28 (place to be decided).Final:
June 4 in Bilbao.
Rezusta does not look fit and due to bad hands he resigned on Tuesday at noon. The day was cut short when Zabaleta picked up the phone. “I think I have something broken.” The recent champion of the Couples was injured in a training session with the Espinal fan and around 11:00 p.m. on Tuesday he messaged the Aspe leaders. “I’m not here to play.” Errandonea received the pertinent medical report during the same presentation. “He suffers a joint fracture in the second phalanx 5 of the right hand and will have to rest for about four weeks.”
They are not the only ones touched. Joseba Ezkurdia has hamstring discomfort and has not trained for several days. «I noticed a puncture training with Peio and I am totally stopped. I have many doubts. Let’s see if I can make it to the first day, but it’s not clear.” Perhaps the inconveniences of the Arbizu are more than just a few inconveniences. But it wasn’t all going to be bad news. Laso, injured in the final last Sunday, is much better. “It seems that it’s not the injury from last year that had me out for a while, I feel much better than I expected and I think that I will be there for the game against Jokin.” And it is that yes, the premiere of the current champion will be against Altuna III on April 23 at the Bizkaia in Bilbao. The two will fight for the first two places in group A, a priori the most complicated of the two groups after the draw. The calendar takes its toll and companies have decided to make a move.
More rest in rooms
The novelty is that the pelotaris have more rest in the quarterfinals. The same protagonists sued him with their statements and with the losses due to injury last year. Aspe and Baiko have made the calendar lighter. The three rounds of the league will be played in five weeks, so each pelotari will have two rest weekends.
Aitor Aranguren makes his debut in the queen category and Peña II falls. Aimar Olaizola called the Tolosa player to tell him that the coaches had decided to give the aginagara a chance, a regular at playing one-on-one with fans. Also in Promotion. Darío beat him in the semifinals in 2019 22-11.
The round of 16 is completed with Urrutikoetxea-Elordi on Friday in Lekeitio, Elezkano II-Artola on Saturday in Labastida -these are group A- and with Peio Etxeberria-Alberdi on Monday in Tolosa -group B as well as Darío and Aranguren.