2023-05-12 00:40:04
A look at the pre-season lists presented by the clubs to the Eusko Label Liga to the ACT -the twelve entities participating in the First Division must provide the final squads in June with a maximum of 22 players- makes it clear that there have been quite a few novelties in almost all crews. Either because the results were not consistent last summer, either because they have decided to strengthen themselves to reach higher levels or simply because they have been forced to do so by the departure of their athletes, all the drifters have been forced to rebuild their toasts. The history of every year.
The two great protagonists of the previous campaign, Urdaibai and Hondarribia -with the permission of Donostiarra-, have registered a similar number of casualties -seven and six, respectively-. However, the significance of this fact in one team or another can be very different, at least a priori. Because? Well, because in the case of the ‘txos’, these are exits, except for Iván Martínez from Ondarrutarra -indisputable headline in 2022-; of bogadores that counted little for the coach Iker Zabala, while the frontiersmen have lost weight athletes in the plans of the coach Mikel Orbañanos.
The ‘Bou Bizkaia’ casualty list is made up of Nicolás Yurramendi, homegrown players Jon Unzaga and Eneko Bilbao, as well as Luis Manuel González, Jon Urresti and Asier Bermejo who have landed in Cabo Cruz, Orio and Donostiarra respectively. Those responsible for the ‘Bou Bizkaia’ have opted for a squad that is a tad shorter in 2023, but apparently more solid than the one that Liga and Concha won last season. They have incorporated five rowers: Jon Etxaniz, a fixture in the ‘Ama Guadapekoa’ from Honda last year; Fernando Ruiz de Zierbena and the veteran and versatile Iker Pascual who arrives from Kaiku. They are joined by the promising patron of the quarry, Aitor Gondra, as well as the Galician duo made up of Dani Folgada and Diego Pérez, formerly of Meira and Bueu, respectively.
Hondarribia, on the other hand, has lost illustrious names, such as Álex Udabe, Urko Redondo, Alain Osanbela, Jon Lizarralde, the aforementioned Jon Etxaniz -all of them with more than a dozen regattas held last summer- and Iñigo Vértiz. The border entity has reacted with the signing of castro-born Adrián González, for whom several clubs in the Eusko Label Liga sighed and who already rowed in the ‘Ama Guadalupekoa’ in 2019. Likewise, Julen Castrillón returns to the competition with the greens.
CBoth in Zierbena and Orio
The same has happened to Donostiarra. Those led by Igor Makazaga have recorded six important casualties, including Jon Agirrezabala, Endika Alberdi, Joseba Larrarte, José María Intxausti, Álex García and Unai Billakorta -above ten regattas, all of them in 2022-. The entity from San Sebastian has signed Asier Bermejo after his departure from Urdaibai, as well as Beñat Eizagirre and Hadrián Meizoso.
Zierbena and Orio are the ones that present the most novelties -a dozen- among the bunch of favourites, after failing to meet expectations last season. The ‘galipos’, moreover, start a new era. The Galician Dani Pérez -former coach of Meira- assumes the technical direction in substitution of Jon Elortegi.
Among the other clubs in the Eusko Label Liga, Santurtzi and Ondarroa have had to rebuild their crews in depth after suffering thirteen and twelve casualties respectively, while Kaiku has eight starts and Isuntza five. The ‘Sotera’ will also have a new coach. The former Urdaibai rower Javi Polo takes the reins with the challenge of salvation. Kaiku, which is celebrating its centenary, presents Jon Elortegi ‘Txapas’.
#clubs #Eusko #Label #Liga #rearrange #benches