Eight pelotaris, four more than in the last edition, yesterday began the fight for the txapela of the Masters Kutxabank 2026, a tournament that will feature … seven festivals before the final, which will be held on February 28 in Galarreta. Five eliminatory rounds – the first two were played yesterday after the presentation – and a group with three pelotaris for which the two Individual finalists, the champion Juanenea and the runner-up Barrenetxea IV, have already qualified, make up the poster of the last Masters under the organization of Oriamendi. “Let’s hope there are more,” said manager Xabier González.
Ezkurra II and Aldabe will face each other this Saturday in Galarreta after yesterday they respectively beat Larrañaga and Jabalera, who could not play due to a personal incident. Azpiroz awaits the winner this Saturday in the penultimate round on the 24th, while the champion of the last three editions, Ansa II, will play on the 31st the last round prior to the semi-final group against the winner.
The league matches will be played on Saturdays, February 7, 14 and 21, and the usual scoring system will be used: 30 points (4 points), 29-27 points (2 points), 23-17 points (single point) and 16 or less (negative point). All matches in the tournament will be played to 30 points.
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Ayer
Ezkurra II vs Larrañaga (30-21) and Jabalera vs Aldabe (0-30) -
Saturday
Acorn II against Aldabe -
January 24
Azpiroz vs Ganador sábado -
January 31
Ansa II vs Winner January 24 -
Semifinals league (February 7, 14 and 21)
Juanenea, Barrenetxea IV and Ganador January 31) -
Final (February 28)
1st classified vs 2nd classified
If there is a tie between two climbers, whoever has won the match between them will qualify, while if the tie is between the three, the overall score will decide the two finalists.
«Now more than ever the ski lift needs everyone’s commitment. We have to build their future together. We want the lift to stay alive and that is why this is not just another tournament,” said Marta Madinabeitia, from Kutxabank.
Juan’s, recovered
Aritz Juanenea, current Individual champion, aspires to win the Masters for the first time even though after achieving the txapela at the end of September his performance has left much to be desired. «I am excited. Let’s see if I can win this championship, which I have never won,” he said. «Until now I have only played Couples and I have lost every game. I have won in short fronton, but in Galarreta I have not yet won a match. It might be a shame to wear red because after winning I disconnected. Maybe I was a little unprofessional, but after nine months of preparing it thoroughly, I needed time for myself, to put things right in my head because I suffered a lot psychologically. “I haven’t given what a champion should give but now I think it’s going to be another story.”
Juanenea confessed that he has been “training hand in hand for a month. I’m not like I was in the summer, but I think I’m going to perform at a very good level. “I have real options.” Of course, he stated that “I don’t like this format and I would make another one because for those at the bottom it is very unfair. The company wants the best to be up there and ensure a good league. “I understand it because of the show, but it’s not fair.”
Regarding the situation that the ski lift is experiencing, he acknowledged that they face this year “with a lot of uncertainty. “We don’t know what is going to happen, although I think it will continue,” he said. «I take it as the last year of my career because I think that in 2027 I will not play anymore. I will be 35 years old and my best years have passed.
And he launched a claim: «There is a lot of talk about who has kept this alive, but without pelotaris this would be dead. We couldn’t ask for more. We are rarely mentioned and I think that the greatest sacrifice has been made by us pelotaris. We are the ones who put on the show. This is like the cinema: if they don’t show you the movie, the popcorn and Coca-Cola are worthless.
