`Village Sports
`The young team from the village of Relleu on Sunday February 9 won the Grand Cup of the F` ederacio De Pilota Valenciana.
This is a very prestigious cup to win. It is open to the whole Valencian region.
Relleu is a neat little village tucked away in the hills to the west of Benidorm. Their young team reached the final after playing all season in the knockout stages, as well as the league games.
Pilota is played throughout Europe. The game is played in the streets of villages and towns, even Benidorm has its own team.
It is a very skilful game using only the hand a very small hard ball. Scoring is similar to tennis but the teams play on a 70 metre court and change ends every game. The first team to reach 10 games is the winner.
Benimaurell where the final was hosted is the village at the head of La Valle De Laguar which runs west from Orba, a town around 30 minutes inland from Denia and Javea.
La Vall De Laguar is a spectacular valley much visited by hikers, cyclists and people just out for lunch, it’s a great place for picnics.
The next village along is Campello with its very long narrow main street. Watch out for signs telling drivers who have R` ight of Way.
After about 4km you come to the village of Fleix, its big car park giving you some idea of how many people come here to walk or just to marvel at the stunning views.
There is a mountain walk here called T` he 10,000 steps. Not for the faint hearted I can assure you!! The steps must have been cut 100s` of years ago to enable reaching the river and grazing lands below.
On this Sunday of the Pilota Final it was a far different village. A lovely spring day and crowded with people enjoying the sunshine.
The final had brought many people from out of town, there to cheer along their own team.
By the time the match was due to start, car park spaces were few and far between. The temporary bar set up in the village was doing a brisk trade.
A can of beer at a euro and a gin and tonic at 4 euros.
The final was played over two legs between Relleu and their old adversaries Parcent, who had already won three cups in the season so far, one of them being the European Cup.
The score from the first leg was 10-7 to Parcent, so the young team from Relleu had a mountain to climb in Benimaurell.
At the same time as each player took a step forward as his name was name was announced over the pa system for all to hear, a coin was spun for `ends or service. Relleu winning and choosing serve.
With much cheering from their many supporters, the young team raced to a 5-1 lead after only half an hour.
This set the seal on the match, trying with all their experience it was never going to be Parcents day.
Though it did take another good hour before the young lions of Relleu ran out the winners with the game score 10-3. So the aggregate score over the two legs was Relleu 17 to Parcents 13.
`The best team won on the day.`
In the picture the youngster on his dads shoulder will be proud a few years down the line when he looks back at the Grand Cup` being lifted and then taken with pride back to their village in the hills for all of the locals to see.
I am a Parcent resident and long-time supporter of our team.
We have it all to do next season defending the three cups that we have won.
The European Pilota Cup is played for each year at a different venue.
Last time in Monticano, Italy. Next year it will be in Belgium, so we will be on the plane again.
Hopefully i will be making a favourable report on the defence of our cup?