Ortega and Sagarmendi Crowned Champions of Adapted Basque Pelota Master Cup

The finals of the Adapted Basque Pelota Master Cup, held in Asteasu, saw Lander Ortega and Eneko Sagarmendi emerge victorious in the intellectual disability category.

Generic image of a Basque pelota ball on a fronton court.
IA

Generic image of a Basque pelota ball on a fronton court.

The finals of the Adapted Basque Pelota Master Cup, which took place in Asteasu, saw the duo of Lander Ortega and Eneko Sagarmendi secure the championship in the intellectual disability category after a close contest.

First, the initial level final for intellectual disability was played, where the pair of Unai Dios and Daniel Calviño overcame Joel Garcia and Tanya Fernandez, becoming the first champions in this category. The match concluded with a score of 20-5 in favor of Dios and Calviño.
Following this, local player Lander Ortega and Eneko Sagarmendi (red team) faced Xabat Askasibar and Hodei Asteasu (green team). It was expected to be a close final, and it remained so until a 10-all tie. All four pelota players engaged in long and tough rallies, but in the final stretch, the red team prevailed. Beloki was a formidable wall, and with Ortega's support, they made few errors. The green team, however, refused to give up, and in their attempt to avoid Sagarmendi, they sought the wide shots too often, causing the ball to escape to the backcourt on several occasions. Capitalizing on this, the red team pulled ahead and won the match with a score of 20-15.
To conclude the day, a tight match took place in the physical disability category between the Gipuzkoan players Aingeru Senperena and Beñat Lizaso, and the Navarrese Joseba Lasa and Edorta de Anta. In an evenly matched contest, the back players carried the weight of the final, but thanks to well-executed plays, Senperena and Lizaso secured the victory with a final score of 25-21.