Mario Basualdo, a life in Basque pelota: “I learnt to walk here” | OneFootball

A player, coach, and leading figure at Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Rosario, he spent many years on the court where the South American Games were held. Today he enjoys it from a different place and highlights the legacy the competition will leave behind.

Mario Basualdo knows the trinquete court at Club Gimnasia y Esgrima de Rosario like few others. His story with that court began long before it became one of the venues for the Santa Fe 2026 South American Games: his father was in charge of the facility, and he literally grew up within its walls.

“My father was in charge of the court at this trinquete, and I learned to walk inside this trinquete,” he said. Over the years he became a player, a coach, and today he is recognized as one of the sport’s leading figures within the club.

This time, the Games found him in a different role: “today I’m the ambassador and the representative of this sport at the club. This time I got to be on the other side. I was a player, I was a coach, and today I get to at least enjoy it a little more calmly.”

For those who still don’t know much about Basque pelota, Basualdo tries to explain it through one of its main characteristics: the pace of the game. “The sport is very attractive, it’s a lot of fun. I always say that people who had never seen it before and stepped onto the court never stopped playing it again,” he said.

The speed of the ball can create some fear in those approaching it for the first time, but the GER figure insists it is a discipline that can be learned. “A lot of people are a little afraid of the ball because it moves fast. But it can be learned,” he said.

That speed also forces players to develop constant reaction ability. According to Basualdo, an important part of training is repetition, so that movements and decisions come more and more naturally each time.

The Argentine trait

Among the characteristics that, according to Basualdo, set Argentine players apart is one technical trait: the use of both hands. “It’s a sport where, if we Argentines play with both hands, we’re ambidextrous,” he explained. For the coach, that ability is an advantage over players from other countries, who tend to specialize in forehand or backhand shots.

“We Argentines play with both hands,” he summed up. Beyond the technical differences, Basque pelota demands quick reactions, coordination, and many hours of repetition to resolve each play in a matter of seconds.

A court with more than a century of history

For Basualdo, the fact that the South American Games came to GER also has personal and collective meaning. The court he had known since childhood became an international stage during the competition.

“For me it’s a source of pride, and I think it has left us a legacy,” he said. The trinquete court is more than 100 years old, but it was renovated to host the competition. “It’s a century-old court, more than 100 years old, but today it’s very modern,” he noted.

Basualdo is already imagining new competitions in that same venue and looking beyond Santa Fe 2026: “this international court will remain for what’s next. It could be for the 2029 Pan American Championship, or for a World Cup.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇪🇸 here.