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Binakako kluba de Ados Pilota Kluba, out of ETB programming
  • Club Ados Pilota has denounced that ETB will not issue any match from the Championship of Couples that will start on Saturday, so Eusko Label will not sponsor the tournament.
Jon Torner Zabala @jtorner 2022ko abenduaren 15
Etxekolonea-Oses (gorriz) eta Barrocal-Agirre (urdinez) bikoteen arteko partida, iazko abuztuan Lekoran. Argazkia: Eduardo Agirre / Instagram Ados Pilota.

Ados was born in May 2021, “with the intention of opening the doors of professionalism to the pelotaris,” the club members explain. Over the year and a half they have organised and played over 150 matches, the only one EITB has broadcast on TV was the final of last year’s Eusko Label Couples Championship. “In September of this year we presented our project again to EITB and asked it to expand that support, asking if it was possible to broadcast more matches on TV,” said club members Ados in a note on social networks. “They told us that to our surprise and three months later they decided not to give the only match they offered us last year. As if this were not enough, that decision has made the support of Eusko Label, which we also had associated for this second championship of couples, stand still.”

“In the face of this injustice,” the club has pointed out that “it is unjustifiable and embarrassing” to turn its back on the association of professional pelotaris that organizes 150 parties throughout the year. Moreover, to obstruct an association of emancipated women, while most institutions put a red carpet on those who get rich at the expense of the ball.”

They add that, despite the obstacles, they will continue to fight “for the pelotaris to decide the future we deserve and want.” They have also called on the citizens to support the ‘green wave’ and ‘become a wave of solidarity that has taken us away from offices’.

Several athletes and cultural agents have already shown their support for club Ados.

The journalist Julen Etxeberria has included in the newspaper Berria the words of the pelotari Iera Agirre: "It was a great blow that ETB did not broadcast matches and that Eusko Label stopped sponsoring."

"We are the only club that offers pelotaris professional contracts for a full season, and that has to be taken into account, because it has never existed," says Agirre. He adds: "We were told that the reason was that Emakume Master Cup offers the same content and that it cannot be duplicated. We replied that they did so in men, such as the finals of the Diario Vasco and Olazar tournaments." In vain: "They explained to us that they had signed a contract with the Master Cup for three years and that they still have a year to do so. We made it clear to them that it is unfair, more because they know that in Eusko Label we had the yes, and that we had to have television to be able to agree with him".

On the other hand, Berria reports that he will keep the wager last year: "It will widely spread the championship and its brand will be present in fronts, ads and pelotaris shirts."

Couples' championship, from 17 December to 5 March

Eight Premier League pairs participated in the second pair championship: Aldareria-Mendiburu, Arrieta - Zabala, Iturriaga -Galiano, Ruiz de Infante-Orbegozo, Etxebeste - Capellan, Barrocal-Ruiz de Larramendi, Zabcalle-Agirre and Etxekolonea-Mujika. Four will be offered at the promotion level.

The quarterfinals will be played in the Beotibar de Tolosa in carnival, the semi-finals in the Labrit frontones of Azpeitia and Pamplona and the final in the Beloki de Zumarraga.