Petanque, traditionally associated with retired men and casual pastime, is in reality much more. "It's a sport of precision, strategy, concentration, and coordination, suitable for all ages," states María Oñoro, president of the Etxebarri petanque club. To this end, Kukullaga Park will host next Saturday, May 23rd, at 9:00 AM, a petanque tournament aimed at women called ‘Petanca para nosotras’. This event, organized by the Kukullaga club, seeks to demystify stereotypes and "reduce the significant gender gap that exists," says Oñoro.

Throughout the morning, competitors will play three 40-minute matches. The event also promises games and an introductory petanque course. Additionally, participants will receive small gifts, and a paella will be served.

Participation requires registration, even though "it's a free activity, we need to know the numbers to organize ourselves," the president explains. To register, a WhatsApp number, 675 709 874, and an email address, cdpkukuiaga@gmail.com, have been provided. "The deadline to sign up is Thursday the 21st," reminds María Oñoro.

The gathering is designed for both women who already play petanque and those who have never held a ball. "We want everyone to participate, with representation from all ages; it doesn't matter if they've never played before, and we want to have a great day," she comments enthusiastically.

For Oñoro, it's important to give visibility to women in this sport because, ultimately, "generally across Spain, there's a large difference between men's and women's federative licenses. Our club reflects this; we have 44 members, and only 10 are women." She promises this will be the first of many tournaments and hopes that "we can move in the right direction with these kinds of initiatives."