The aizkolari zizurkildarra Jon Irazu has been interviewed by Joxe Anjel Sarasola in the rural sport program Defioa de Ataria Irratia. In Irazu's words, the performances held at the parties are "an excuse to train" and also "to compare with the rivals". "It's usually good for a lot of things, and that's not going to be this year either. We are without illusion for the axe."

"Competitions have a huge expense, the woods cost a lot, and the help the municipalities give to get ahead, says Irazu, is very important. "From the Basque Football Federation, they said they knew nothing. We're also there, we don't know if we start training by giving it all or what we have to do. When you buy wood and you do it to play the championship, you don't need anything to spend three or four thousand euros." If they do not train and then the championship is organised, the aizkolari will not have a level. But if you train by giving it all and then there's no championship, you accumulate the losses. "If a pelotari is standing and then comes out on the court, you see the lack of rhythm, which on the court is a bit lost," explains Irazu in this sense. "Aizkolaris is also the same thing."

"We see that football and other sports are going to play behind closed doors, I do not believe that Basque rural sport has the ability to go out behind closed doors," aizkolari continued. Asked whether wagering can be an option, he pointed out that it is difficult to wager without people. In addition, it is appropriate to be well prepared: "If you don't do it first in the competition, nothing happens, because you have a bad day or you can be unlucky. If you do not win the wager, you were a loser, and I personally find it a lot more serious.

Irazu has reviewed the situation of the aizkora in the Ataria, where it is immersed. "Rural sports are part of the culture here. But I think that culture is losing a lot," he said. "Before I tried to put the act very nice, with aizkolaris of the same level. Now it's done for doing in many villages and it's stopped doing elsewhere."

>> Listen to the full interview (25:37)