Xabier Barandika and Unai Lekerikabeaskoa captured the first gold medal in history for the Euskal Selekzioa at a world championship, defeating the United States team of Johan and Gorka Sorozabal two sets to one in the final held in Colonia, Uruguay.
How Barandika and Lekerikabeaskoa Claimed the Title in Uruguay
The historic championship match required a grueling three-set battle to decide the winner. The Basque pair seized the opening set 9–15, establishing early control of the court. However, the American duo responded in the second set. After Barandika and Lekerikabeaskoa pulled ahead 5–2 and stood close to victory, the Sorozabal team mounted a comeback to take the second set 15–9, forcing a decisive third frame.
In the final set, Lekerikabeaskoa and Barandika steadied their nerves to pull away and secure victory, as diariovasco.com noted that while the path was marked by high pressure and tactical swings, the Basque pair ultimately prevailed by committing fewer errors in the closing exchanges.
Barandika-Basque, Erkiaga-Salegi, Johan-Ibarluzea, Goixerri-Lekerika, Laduche-Manci, Olharan-Gorka, Goitia-Oyhenard y Urreisti-Atain competirán por la txapela desde el 26 de octubrehttps://t.co/I2XBiuVfuA
— https://x.com/deia_eus/status/2106421519022698644
The Parallel Paths of Gernika’s Cesta Punta Stars
Both pelotaris hail from Gernika, a historic cradle of cesta punta, and share a parallel career trajectory that took them from their Basque hometown to the professional frontons of Florida. In 2015, Barandika paused his technical architecture studies at age 26, while Lekerikabeaskoa made the leap at age 21. They settled together in the United States, rooming and playing through the final years of stable professional activity at the Dania Beach fronton before it closed in 2021.
Their American tenure operated under the fast-paced quiniela format—a rotating system of eight colored pairs designed for wagering spectators—rather than the traditional 35-point matches played in the Basque Country. Lekerikabeaskoa excelled within this structure, earning the Most Wins honor during the 2017 summer season. Following the closure of Florida’s major frontons, driven largely by shifts in casino gaming compacts with Native American tribes that eliminated the legal requirement for jai alai to maintain gaming licenses, both players returned to Bizkaia.
Back home, Barandika balances elite competition with coaching at the Gernika cesta punta school, working to sustain youth development. Lekerikabeaskoa maintains a rigorous training regimen at the Geroa sports center under coach Gontzal Urionabarrenetxea, alongside circuit peers such as Aitor Elordi.
The triumph in Uruguay follows a challenging recovery period for Barandika, who missed four months of competition earlier in the year due to an elbow fracture that sidelined him from the Gernika Winter Series. Alongside the men’s gold, the Basque women’s pair of Maite Ortiz de Mendivil and Maia Goikoetxea earned a silver medal at the tournament after falling 2–0 (9–15 and 12–15) to Spain’s Erika Mugartegi and Arai Lejardi, securing a second historic podium finish for the delegation.
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