JAI ALAI/CESTA PUNTA--JAI ALAI LEAGUE (EREMAN!) WOMEN'S WINTER LEAGIUE 24 BEGINS--INTRODUCTION

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JAI ALAI LEAGUE (EREMAN!) WOMEN'S WINTER LEAGUE 2024 INTRODUCTION  

JAI ALAI LEAGUE (EREMAN!) WOMEN'S WINTER SERIES 2024 (DURANGO)

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The 2024 Jai Alai League (Ereman!) and EUSKOTREN ("a public company of the Basque Government are the promoters of  the Women's Winter Series Tournament (February, 26, March 4, and March 11, to be played at recently renovated and remodeled Ezkurdi Fronton (EITB), Durango (Wikipedia), with 4 pairs. It is a Master Tournament, consisting of 2 Semi-finals and a Final. All three matches will be streamed on demand by EITB. In addition,  there will be a Men's Masters singles Tournament featuring Aritz Erkiaga, Unai Lekerikabeaskoa, Ludovic Laduche, and Johan Sorozabal (top finishers in the FINAL FOUR tournament, which was held last October between the top finishers in the 2023 Summer Partidos). Complete details of matchups and dates, along with other relevant information is available via Jai Alai News Facebook (Basque, with links to 19 photos). Note that a Facebook membership is not required. Simply click on the circled X and you will be linked. 

An English Google translate of the Facebook article is available below.

EITB and the Jai Alai League are promoting this competition heavily in order to shine a spotlight on the growth of the Women's game in the Basque country. The Women's game is growing by leaps and bounds, with the players improving exponentially. The fact that EITB is televising all of the matches on a slight delay, in the same time slot as was used for the recently completed Jai Alai Winter Series, speaks volumes about the importance of promoting the Women's game. And the secondary Men's tournament won't be too bad either.

The blog will cover this Tournament as it did the JAWS, with No Spoiler and Spoiler sections separated by a ===== barrier.

GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF TOURNAMENT INFORMATION

EUSKOTREN WOMEN WINTER SERIES

DURANGO WILL TAKE GERNIKA'S WITNESS!

Take it!

From Monday, the best female cesta Punta players will compete in Ezkurdi, in the Euskotren Winter Series tournament.

Lizardi's injury has opened the door for young Elaia Gogenola and she is the main novelty.

Last year's champions Erika and Arai will not repeat as a couple.

In the men's individual competition Erkiaga, Johan, Laduche and Lekerika will compete.

ETB 1 will offer all the matches: February 26 and March 4 and 11.

The women's cesta punta has its main date in Ezkurdi of Durango from this Monday. After last year's success, the Women Winter Series tournament has its second edition, this time also under the auspices of EUSKOTREN, the public company of the Basque Government. It has been working for women's sports in the South Basque Country for several years and now it has taken another step, jumping to the top of the basket.

The stage, of course, will be the historic Ezkurdi stadium. It's only been a year since it was repaired and inaugurated and Durango is once again among the most important squares of Cesta Punta, with the Women Winter Series, the Individual Series or the Final Four of the Jai Alai League, that was played by the top scoring players in the 2023 Summer League.

Lizardi's injury and the novelty of Gogenola

In terms of the sports approach, there is a significant change in this year's edition. Eneritz Lizardi from Mutriko, who is a reference in women's cesta punta, will not participate. The defender from Gipuzkoa has a fracture in the right knee cruciate ligament.

She will undergo surgery on March 14 and according to the forecasts she will be out of the courts for half a year. This unfortunate news has opened a door for a new player. Elaia Gogenola (Born, 2007) strong and courageous striker.

Women's cesta punta is still a growing sport and Eraman has chosen five forwards and three defenders to organize a high level tournament. 

It is therefore mandatory for a striker to play in the back court. This has happened many times in the ball world and in the cesta point and it also shows the ability of a ball player to adapt. That being the case, Ihart Arakistain from Sopela will play as a defender. If Arakistein performs well, it will open up opportunities for her to play as a striker or a defender in the future. Her partner will be Elaia Gogenola, new this year. Both are members of the Berriatu club and know each other well.

Champions will not repeat as a pair

Erika Mugartegi and Arai Lejardi from Marina (?) are last year's champions, but this year they will not repeat as a couple. Mugartegi will play with Maialen Aldazabal from New York and Lejardi with Helena Barrenetxea from Durango. Lejardi is at the top of the ball: she is the current champion of the Winter Series and Buruz Buru and the point guard that all opponents want to beat. 

The other couple that will participate in the tournament is made up of Maite Ortiz de Mendibil from Gasteiz and Frida Watkins from Zumaia.

Individual Series

Four players will take part in the men's head-to-head in Erama! In the Individual Series organized by the company: the main favorite Aritz Erkiaga, Johan Sorozabal, Ludovic Laduch and Unai Lekerika.

February 26

19:00  SEMI-FINALS

HELENA-ARAI vs MAITE-FRIDA (WS)

Johan vs Laduche (Single Series)

March 4

 

19:00  SEMI-FINALS

ERIKA-MAIALEN vs ELAIA-IHART (WS)

Erkiaga vs Lekerika (Individual Series)

FINALS on March 11

All matches can be seen on ETB 1, on Mondays from 22:15.

Vouchers and tickets

Tournament tickets and vouchers are available at www.eramanjaialai.com .

Reviving the cesta-punta in Durango

A year after the inauguration of Ezkurdi, the zesta punta has been revived in Durango. With the formation of the new club, they already have 44 players, but in all there are 64 players who are training with the Ezkurdin basket. First, there was a lack of young players and now, there is a lack of free hours on the court in Durango.

Aritz Erkiaga, the player of ERAMAN!, is the instructor of the club. He is the main point of reference for the cesta school in Durango. Aritz's bold and spectacular play is, to one degree or another, what all fans want to see.

Players

HELENA BARRENETXEA (Durango, 2007)

ARAI LEJARDI (Markina-Xemein, 2007)

MAITE ORTIZ DE MENDIBIL (Gasteiz, 2005)

FRIDA WATKINS (Zumaia, 2008)

ERIKA MUGARTEGI (Markina-Xemein, 2008)

MAIALEN ALDAZABAL (2006)

ELAIA GOGENOLA (2007)

IHART ARAKISTAIN (Sopela, 2006)

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JAI ALAI LEAGUE (EREMAN!) WOMEN'S WINTER LEAGUE 2024 INTRODUCTION  

JAI ALAI LEAGUE (EREMAN!) WOMEN'S WINTER SERIES 2024 (DURANGO)

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JAI ALAI/CESTA PUNTA--JAI ALAI LEAGUE (ERAMAN!) WOMEN'S WINTER SERIES 2024 (DURANGO)

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Links to: 

1. JAI ALAI LEAGUE (ERAMAN!) JAI ALAI WINTER SERIES 2023-24: 

2. JAI ALAI LEAGUE (ERAMAN!)  WOMEN'S WINTER SERIES 2024  

Note: Links to All Women's Jai Alai Winter Series full match videos back to 2023 are available from EITB TV Winter Series Page (click on "Denboraldia 2" and a drop down menu will appear that will link to "Denboraldia 1", last year's complete Women's Tournament (3 full match videos).

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This post will consist of the following:

A.  "Non Spoiler" section (a simple link to the video of latest match with no other information)

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B. "Spoiler" section, including the video link, winners, the score, line scores, match statistics

C.  Link to a match article(s)

D.  Google English translation of that match article.

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NOTE: THE YOUTUBE PLAYLIST FOR ALL SIX MATCHES IN THIS TOURNAMENT IS AVAILABLE FOR EASE OF ACCESS.

Non-Spoiler

FINAL

MARCH 1, 2024

ERIKA MUGARTEGI--MAIALEN ALDAZABAL v

HELENA BARRENETXEA--ARAI LEJARDI

INDIVIDUAL SERIES

ARITZ ERKIAGA V JOHAN SOROZABAL

FULL MATCH VIDEO



Women's match  begins at 0:00 on the video.

Men's match begins at 1:04:07 on the video.

SPOILER INFO BELOW IS IN PROCESS OF COMPILATION.

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Spoilers

2ND SEMI-FINAL

MARCH 4, 2024

ERIKA MUGARTEGI--MAIALEN ALDAZABAL 2

ELAIA GOGENOLA--NAROA MARINO  (substituting for IHART ARAKISTAIN) 0

15-7, 15-12 (30-19)

FULL MATCH VIDEO 

Women's match  begins at 0:00 on the video.

Linescores (match winners always listed 1st)

Set 1:

1-0; 1-1; 3-1; 3-2; 4-2; 4-3; 6-3; 6-6; 11-6; 11-7; 15-7

+1;=;+2;+1;+2;+1;+3;=;+5;+4;+8

2 equal scores, 0 lead changes

Set 2:

2-0; 2-1; 3-1; 3-2; 6-2; 6-4; 7-4; 7-5; 9-5; 9-6; 10-6; 10-9; 11-9; 11-11; 13-11; 13-12; 15-12

+2;+1;+2;+1;+4;+2;+3;+2;+4;+3;+4;+1+;+2;=;+2;+1;+3

1 equal score, 0 lead changes

Scoring (EITB)

Mugartegi +16 -5; Aldazabal +2 -1

Gogenola +10 -9; Merino +3 -3

Mugartegi: 8 Atzean (behind); 4 Moztuak (passing shots); 2 Sakez (service aces)

Aldazabal: 2 Atzean

 

Gogenola: 5 Atzean 2 Bi Paretak (2 walls); 2 Errestoan Tantoa (serve intercept/immediate kill)

Merino: 2 Atzean; 1 Bi Paretak

Total score: +31 -18 (.633)

M-A +18; 12 G-M errors (.600 winners)

G-M +13; 6 M-A errors (.684 winners)

Balls in Play (Deia)EITB did not provide full match BIP information

313

Non-error percent (BIP - errors) / BIP  (313 - 18)/ 313 (.942)

Average BIP per Point: 6.4

Time of the match (Deia) EITB did not provide time. This is total match time, no actual playing time was provided.

51:37

Average time per point: 63.2 seconds

Note Erika Mugartegi was the star of a well played but rather one sided match. She had more winners than both of her opponents combined, putting them on the back foot throughout the match. M-A never trailed, and were only tied on 3 occasions. However, G-M put up a spirited fight in Set 2, coming back from 10-6 to 13-12 before finally succumbing. Both back court players were excellent, with only 4 errors between them, and the non-error percent for the match was over 94%, an excellent rate for any partido match. 

Match Article (Deia) (Igor Vigo) (Castilian). The article is accompanied by a photo gallery of 18 pictures.

GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION

Erika Mugartegi and Maialen Aldazabal, finalists of the Euskotren Women Winter Series

The forward of Markina and Maialen Aldazabal overcome Elaia Gogenola and Naroa Merino and reach the final of the Women 

Winter Series

Igor G. Vico NTM

DURANGO | 04·03·24 | 21:45 | Updated at 21:48

The difference is called Erika Mugartegi. The Markina-Xemein forward, powerful and decisive, was the main protagonist of the second semifinal of the Euskotren Women Winter Series of the cesta punta played this Monday in an Ezkurdi fronton in Durango that presented a beautiful image, packed to the brim. 

And it was the Biscayan who took the lead. She is the point scorer with the most punch of the four that appeared in the championship and she makes it count. The current holder of the txapela and Maialen Aldazabal sign up for the final next Monday on the same stage, where the local Helena Barrenetxea and Arai Lejardi, Mugartegi's countrywoman and with whom she won the scepter in 2023, await. One of the two will repeat the crown.

The amazing ability of the Markinarra to give speed to the ball both from the backhand and from the forehand was combined with the seriousness of her partner in the long frames to mix in a couple with hardly any cracks. Not even in the face of a duet without complexes and with a lot of self-confidence. It is true that Elaia Gogenola made mistakes, but it is no less true that Berriatua's forward showed out with really beautiful and elegant postures, as well as with excessive ambition when it came to seeking the goal. She is honest. She exuded personality. In Durango she was thanked for her permanent volcanic character in the cheerful paintings. In fact, Elaia, who wanted to take center stage, had flashes of a true figure both on the side and on the right. She also hit complicated balls. However, the mistakes ended up taking their toll on her in the semi-final.

Erika-Maialen 15/15

Elaia-Naroa 7/12

Duration: 51:37 minutes of play.

Serves: 4 by Erika.

Hits: 313 good hits.

Winners: 12 from Erika, 1 from Maialen, 10 from Elaia and 4 from Naroa.

Errors: 4 from Erika, 2 from Maialen, 9 from Elaia and 3 from Naroa.

First set score: 1-0, 1-1, 3-1, 3-2, 4-2, 4-3, 6-3, 6-6, 11-6, 11-7 and 15-7.

Second set score:  1-0, 2-0, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2, 6-2, 6-4, 7-4, 7-5, 9-5, 9-6, 10- 6, 10-9, 11-9, 11-11, 13-11, 13-12 and 15-12.

Incidents: Match corresponding to the second semifinal of the Eusko Label Winter Series Tournament played at the Ezkurdi fronton in Durango. Full. In the semifinal of the Banakako Series, Aritz Erkiaga defeated Lekerika (12-3 and 12-5).

The reality is that luck eluded the yellow team and they suffered the siege of a more complete and solid Erika. Naroa Merino, Ihart Arakistain's substitute, assumed the role of playing outside her area, at the back, but the champagne bombardment caused her problems. 

Mistakes and power

The first joko was cold. Erika took the helm of the game and looked for the long frames. Her merger with Aldazabal denoted a plan: look for Merino. Furthermore, Elaia experienced moments of anxiety that benefited her opponents. Erika and Maialen managed the score until 6-6. A stick from Elaia opened the bleeding. Mugartegi put the ball back to unbalance the set. They went 11-6. The 11-7 was a shot from Naroa wide. The woman from Tolosa tried a drop shot that went into the mattress and the Biscayans did not forgive. The 15-7 was a blow from the Markinarra. 

In the second set, however, the yellows let go. The Berriatua forward arrived very brave. Although Erika and Maialen were ahead at all times (2-0, 6-2 and 9-5), for Elaia there is no such thing as surrender . They tied 11-11, but Mugartegi nailed a cut to return the advantage to the favorite side. The 13-11 score was a setback against the Markinarra team. Elaia drew a two-wall in the next return (13-12). Erika and Maialen did not forgive. 15-12 and to the final.

INDIVIDUAL SERIES

ARITZ ERKIAGA 2

UNAI LEKERIKABEASKOA 0

12-3, 12-5 (24-8)

FULL MATCH VIDEO 

Men's match begins at 1:04:35 on the video.

Linescores (match winners always listed 1st)

Set 1:

1-0; 1-2; 2-2; 2-3; 12-3

+1;-1;=;-1;+9

3 equal scores, 2 lead changes

Set 2: 

0-1; 1-1; 1-2; 4-2; 4-4; 10-4; 10-5; 12-5

-1;=;-1;+3;=;+6;+5;+7

3 equal scores, 1 lead change

Scoring (EITB):

Erkiaga: +19 -2

Lekerikabeaskoa +6 -5

Erkiaga: 11 Bi Paretak (2 walls); 5 Atzean (behind); 1 Sakez (service ace)

Lekerikabeaskoa: 3 Atzean; 1 Dejadaz (drop shot); 1 Txik-Txak-Txula (hits back wall on bounce or in the air so low that it cannot be returned)

Total Score +25 -7 (.781)

Erkiaga +19; 5 Lekerikabeaskoa errors (.792) winners)

Lekerikabeaskoa +6; 2 Erkiaga errors (.750 winners)

No Balls in play or time data were provided by any source I found.

Match article: (El Correo) (Javier Garcia Legoburu) (Castilian)

GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE RELEVANT PORTION OF THE ARTICLE

Erkiaga - who currently works at the Durango cesta punta school - offered a recital in the second of the semi-finals, with countless two walls before which the one from Gernika could do nothing. With 3-2 in his favor, Lekerika made a serve fault and from that moment on, he did not react at any time to the superiority of Erkiaga, who distanced himself with 7-3 in the first set. From there, it went straight to the final 12-3.

The second set played in the emblematic Durango fronton inaugurated in 1955 and reopened a little over a year ago, began more evenly. Lekerika wanted to make it difficult for Erkiaga and scored two goals that, supported by the chants of encouragement, the fans seemed to encourage him to get closer on the

scoreboard, but after the tie at four, Erkiaga went to 10-4 with ease, again offering a infinite amount of resources. He barely made a mistake in the entire game. With the final 12-5, Ispaster's showed that he is the current number one in the modality.

The final will be contested between Erkiaga and Johan Sorozabal, after the women's championship final.

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1ST SEMI-FINAL

FEBRUARY 26, 2024

HELENA BARRENETXEA--ARAI LEJARDI 2

MAITE ORTIZ DE MENDIBIL--FRIDA WATKINS 0

15-14, 15-12 (30-26)

FULL MATCH VIDEO

Women's match  begins at 0:00 on the video.

Linescores (match winners always listed 1st)

Set 1:

0-4; 3-4; 3-5; 5-5; 5-7; 6-7; 6-9; 10-9; 10-10, 10-11; 14-11; 14-14; 15-14

-4;-1;-2;=;-2;-1;-3;+1;=;-1;+3;=;+1

4 equal scores, 3 lead changes

Set 2: 

0-2; 2-2; 3-2; 3-3; 5-3; 5-4; 7-4; 7-5; 8-5; 8-6; 9-6; 9-9; 11-9; 11-10; 14-10; 14-12; 15-12

-2;=;+1=;+2;+1;+3;+2;+3;+2;+3;=;+2;+1;+4;+2;+3

3 equal scores; 1 lead change

Scoring: Deia (EITB did not provide any cumulative scoring)

Barrenetxea +13 (including 4 service aces) -3; Lejardi +6 -4

Ortiz de Mendibil +15 (including 3 aces) -7; Watkins +4 -4 

Total Score: +38 -18 (.679)

B-L +19 11 M-W errors (.633 winners)

M-W +19 7 B-L errors (.731 winners)

Balls in Play

293

Non-error percent (BIP - errors) / BIP (293 - 18) / 293 (.939)

Average Balls per Point: 5.2

Time of the match (Deia--total time only, actual playing time was not given): 56 minutes

Time per point: 60 seconds

Note: This was an extremely close, entertaining match, played in front of 500 fans. The largest lead in the entire match was 4 points and, as the above statistics demonstrate, it was a very well played match. 

Match article:  (Jai Alai News Facebook, Basque, includes 13 photos) (Note: you do not have to be a Facebook user to link to this address. If you are asked for your Facebook user name, simply click on the circled X). 

GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION

PUBLIC STAND UP! HELENA AND ARAI WINNER!

Take it!

Euskotren Winter Series, 1st day

HELENA-ARAI vs MAITE-FRIDA: 15-14, 15-12

Beautiful atmosphere at the Ezkurdi fronton in Durango during the second edition of the Women Winter Series. 500 fans joined this cold Monday, improving the number of last year's premiere and those who were there did not regret the game they saw. The four protagonists have played a very competitive and hard-fought match, they have offered a great show and they have also shown that they have raised the level of their game this year. Good news for women's cesta punta! The people stood and applauded the four protagonists.

We have a good game and show, because Berrenetxea, Lejardi, Ortiz de Mendibile and Watkins showed a cheerful game and a good level. The latter is the youngest of the four and also from the tournament, together with Erika Mugartegi, they are both 16 years old.

The yellow couple gave a better start to today's final. They started 0-4 before, with Maite and Frida aggressive and scoring with the right. The first goal of the brown pair was scored by Barrenetxea from Durango, who looked for the ball well and finished behind (1-4). They maintained this advantage until the last round, but the browns came from behind. Thanks to Barrenetxea, they have come together. Maite hit the double wall, Helena guessed and finished very well with the same play (8-9). After drawing at nine. Lejardi scored a very difficult ball in the open area and finished it with his right hand (10-9). The people of Bizkaia were in front, but the Araba and Gipuzkoans held firm. From ten, Maite elegantly on the plate. From 10-11, Frida held well and Lejardi missed. From the line-up, a great drop from Arai Lejardi, who quickly threw two walls with her right hand. That's where the people of Bizkaia took the lead until 14-11. This was a great score, the four scored really excellent balls and got the public on their feet. But do not give up on them. 14-12, Maite strong with a return. 14-13, Maite's awesome serve to the rebound. 14-14 the same Araba on the badge. Fourteen on the scoreboard, great emotion on the court, the crowd enjoying themselves and finally the home player, Helena Barrenetxea, scored the goal that decided the set. After getting the ball in, the Durango player throws it quickly, gives life to the game and played a well-rounded game today.

The second game also started with a draw, but after the 3-3, the maroons took the lead, up to 7-4. Helena's task was to avoid the Araba striker. Maite presents great danger. She hurts a lot with the right. She is brave and has also been excellent with the serve. They have done well, but the browns have done a little better in defense. Lejardi is a guarantee of safety. She almost never misses a ball, she delays it very well with the return and always places the ball with intention with her right hand. The 9-6 was hers, rejected on the left wall and the 9-7 of Watkins, making the same play. They managed to tie the score at nine, but Maite made two mistakes in a row, at a bad moment, and Helena from Durango made some incredible plays. 12-10 with a wall double with the right hand, and 14-10 on the rebound a beautiful double wall. Zesta fans in the stands were enjoying the game, but Maite and Frida did not immediately give up. They narrowed the game to 14-12 but in the end they could not turn the difference. Lejardi, the champion of Markina-Xemeine has decided the set, the match and the classification for the final.

Today, the women's puntistas stood up in the front of Durango and the cesta punta fans greeted the four players with applause on their way to the locker room. They gave a great show. Next week, Elaia Gogenola and Naroa Merino will compete against Erika Mugartegi and Maialen Aldazabal.

Johan wins

In the Individual Series, in the match between Lapurti, Johan Sorozabal prevailed over Ludovic Laduchi, 12-10 and 12-3. Next week, Erkiaga against Lekerika.

INDIVIDUAL SERIES

JOHAN SOROZABAL  2 

LUDOVIC LADUCHE 0 

12-10, 12-3 (24-13)

FULL MATCH VIDEO



Men's match begins at 1:07:40 on the video.

Linescores (match winners always listed 1st)

Set 1:

1-0; 1-1; 3-1; 3-2; 8-2; 8-5; 9-5; 9-8; 10-8; 10-10; 12-10

+1;=;+2;+1;+6;+3;+4;+1;+2;=;+2

2 equal scores, 0 lead changes

Set 2: 

1-0; 1-1; 5-1; 5-2; 7-2; 7-3; 12-3

+1;=;+4;+3;+5;+4;+9

1 equal score; 0 lead changes

I could not find any statistical data for this match.

Match article for this match (El Correo, Castilian)

GOOGLE ENGLISH TRANSLATION FOR THE SECOND MATCH ARTICLE

The event is accompanied by a men's tournament, which featured a duel between Johan and Laduche. In the first set of the match, Johan took a 7-2 lead. However, the rival did not give up and despite suffering a slight fall on the counter court it was only a scare. He leveled the match by surprising his compatriot with several drop shots and managed to get closer to 9-10 and tie the set at ten points. Finally, Johan took the first set (12-10) thanks to a failure in Laduche's dropshot. in the happy pictures.

In the second set, Johan showed his superiority from the beginning and demonstrated his punch and all his offensive artillery. From the beginning, he escaped with partial scores like 5-2, 9-2 and took his place in the final with an incontestable 12-3, where he will face the winner of the other semifinal between Erkiaga - who currently works at the school of top basket of Durango- and Lekerika that will be played next Monday.

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Links to: 

1. JAI ALAI LEAGUE (ERAMAN!) JAI ALAI WINTER SERIES 2023-24: 

2. JAI ALAI LEAGUE (ERAMAN!)  WOMEN'S WINTER SERIES 2024  

Note: Links to All Women's Jai Alai Winter Series full match videos back to 2023 are available from EITB TV Winter Series Page (click on "Denboraldia 2" and a drop down menu will appear that will link to "Denboraldia 1", last year's complete Women's Tournament (3 full match videos).

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