Nafarroa is the land of a great esku pilota (handball) tradition, with thousands of fans all over the province. Among the professionals, it’s enough to count how many have been from Navarre to realize this. Men, of course, because it has been a men’s world, but there are also those who are working to change this. In Iruña-Pamplona, an association of women pilotaris has been created and its name gives a hint to its goal: Aldatze (change). Following is a summary of an article by Unai Oiartzun for Gaztezulo.eus.
Unai Oiartztun/Gaztezulo. Naroa Iturain doesn’t remember the first day she played esku pilota. She has played in frontons since she was little, with her parents and friends. When she began to play at the Ikastola it was her favorite pastime: “Two or three girls used to play, among the boys.” But after she left the Ikastola, she also quit playing. She didn’t attend a pilota school, but she knows girls who at the age of 13-14 had to stop: “They told them to pick up a pala or a racquet, that the boys’ game was too hard, so they don’t ruin their hands,” she explained.
Nevertheless, for anyone who likes pilota, they often like to play handball. Two and a half years ago, a group of women with this hobby got tighter to create the association. One of its supporters is Ana Calvo, born in Cantabria, but who has a friend in the kuadrilla in Larrabetzu (Bizkaia), where the Txokoa Women’s Association exists, created by the parents of the children who play pilota. “It was our reference,” Calvo said. Today there are a dozen women in Aldatze, of all ages, from 17-40.
Some have gone to Pilota School. They know technique and the basics of handball. Others, though, learned at the association. At the beginning they were helped by former pilotari Carlos Armendariz. “We learned a lot from him, and we are indebted to him,” Ana Calvo said. They also had a masterclass with pilotari Patri Espinar. Naroa Iturain, confirmed that it was very useful: “He gave us steps for productive practices, because it’s more than just coming to the fronton and hitting the balls.”
Complete article in Basque, here: Gaztezulo.eus.
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