Beñat Azketa Lasa (Beasain, 1993), a forward, and Aingeru Bernaola, a defender, have been crowned champions in the two-man hand pelota category of the Euskal Herritik Mundura Ampo tournament. Organized by the Basque Pelota Federation of Euskadi, this competition served as preparation for the World Championship, and Azketa has a chance to be selected for the Basque Selection that will compete in Argentina, with the official list to be announced in July.
After teaming up for the semi-finals and the final, Azketa and Bernaola emerged victorious, despite not being the initial favorites. Azketa identifies his main strength as giving speed to the ball, while acknowledging that finishing points is his weakness. "I've always treated pelota as a game, but since the Basque Selection achieved official status, I've taken it more seriously," stated the player, who is about to turn 33.
The tournament also aimed to increase the visibility of the Basque Pelota Selection. Azketa noted that the atmosphere was excellent in many towns for the pala matches, and the public response in the hand pelota finals was also very positive. The list of pre-selected players for the World Championship has been narrowed down, and Azketa hopes to be chosen, although he admits it's "not a certainty."
