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It was a gala evening that was full of emotions to celebrate the reopening of the Fronton Mexico, Mexico Jai Alai.  The red carpet at its entrance welcomed everyone attending to this magnificent Art Deco building construction of 1929.  Men and women elegantly dressed filled the stands and high-ranking representatives from institutions and businesses alike were also in attendance.  Here is a chronicle of the event published in the El Desmarque (video included). 

El Desmarque/ Mexico City.   After being closed for 20 years, nobody wanted to miss its reopening.  A dream that no one thought would become reality.  Before its inauguration, at the huge press conference, everyone knew that it was going to be a very special evening.  Attending the event were the mayor of Mexico City, Angel Mancera, the Secretary of Economic Development Salomon Chertorivski, business men like Carlos Slim, Carlos Slim Domit and Artur Elias Ayub, the Secretary of Urban Development and Housing, Felipe de Jesus Gutierrez, the building’s owner, Antonio Cosio, as well as the Director General of the Mexican Institute of Social Security who is also a pilotari, Mikel Arriola who participated in the first match of the night.

Video chronicle of the reopening (Notimex)

The person in charge of throwing the first pelota out was the former Jai-Alai player Samuel Inclan, idol during the glorious days of the Fronton Mexico.  A great pilotari who also enjoyed playing in Euskadi, and the US in the 90s, and one of the best coaches in memory.

The fronton, that holds 1,800 people besides the VIP seating, was overflowing with everyone in attendance (by invitation) plus the media.  The event was broadcast live by Televisa Deportes.  After the dance and light shows, authorities then cut the ribbon, in this case, supported by two pilotaris: Alejandro Ituarte from Mexico and Ludovic Laduche from the Basque Country.

The fronton, painted Black with “JAI ALAI MEXICO” in capital letters and the image of a pilotari ion the left wall looked splendid. Sixty-two meters of cancha divided into 16 squares.  The Jai Alai Mexico, its audience, its kantxa, the building, its history…imposing.  But the great pilotaris who wish succeed from now on, will also have to prove themselves in Mexico.

In the first exhibition game, Ochoa and Arriola (red), from Mexico, beat their countrymen Juan Leon and Safon (blue) and in the star game, the red team Jean Olharan and Imanol Lopez (Champions of the Madrid Tournament) beat the blue team comprised of Mikel Egiguren (current pairs champion) and Eric Irastorza (Triple Crown in Miami), 30-22.  The fullback from Zumaia finished the game with a great right-hand hit from the 12^th square, chopping the ball.  Irastorza couldn’t do anything.

But yesterday, the results were unimportant.  Eight pilotaris, Ochoa, Arriola, Juan León, Safont, Egiguren, Irastorza, Olharan and López, had to feel privileged to play this historic match.  As well as the rest of the bracket comprised of another 30 pilotaris.  Everyone left the cancha dressed as pilotaris and were applauded by the audience.  There were many pilotaris who had wanted to play and win in Mexico, but over these 20 years, they weren’t even given the chance.

After an investment of 35 million dollars, and the inaugural event, the regular Jai Alai season will begin next Tuesday.  There will be four events weekly with three games and two pools at each.  The building can also host other events, and authorities think that this project can boost economic, cultural and artistic grown in the entire Colonia Tabacalera (the area where the fronton is located in the center of Mexico City).  And so, the party is over, and now it’s time to go to work, above all for the pilotaris, Basque and Mexican mainly, which include, apart from the aforementioned, Inza, Olha, Etcheto or Tambourindeguy and where future young Basque pilotaris will dispute their matches in the coming days.