Joseba Ezkurdia Galarraga, known professionally as Ezkurdia, is a Basque pelota forward player. He is a three-time champion of the Cuatro y Medio Euskadi Championship (2018, 2019 and 2022), and also of the Bare-handed Pelota First League Doubles (2018, 2020 and 2025).
 Joseba Ezkurdia in 2018. | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joseba Ezkurdia Galarraga |
| Nickname | Ezkurdia |
| Born | 22 April 1991 |
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) |
| Weight | 93 kg (205 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Country | Spain |
| Sport | Basque pelota |
Professional career
editEzkurdia made his professional debut on 28 December 2011 on the Beotibar fronton, from Tolosa, Spain. He lost the game along with Íñigo Pascual to Mikel Idoate and Miguel Merino Soto (Merino I) for a final score of 21-22. The match was part of the Bare-handed Pelota Second League Doubles.[1]
He continued to progress in his career until the 2018 season, in which he achieved a double by winning the txapela of the Bare-handed Pelota First League Doubles with José Javier Zabaleta;[2] and the Cuatro y Medio Euskadi Championship, whose final was played for the first time in the new Navarra Arena.[3]
The following season, 2019, he won the Cuatro y Medio Euskadi Championship again in the same venue and against the same opponent, Jokin Altuna (Altuna III).[4]
In the 2020 season, he won the Bare-handed Pelota First League Doubles with Julen Martija,[5] but in the Cuatro y Medio Euskadi Championship he lost in the semi-finals against Erik Jaka.[6]
In the 2021 season, he was left out of the competition in both tournaments in which he was already a two-time champion.
The following season, he won the Cuatro y Medio Euskadi Championship for a third time (again against Altuna III), and he managed to reach the final of the Bare-handed Pelota First League, which he lost against Unai Laso.[7][8]
He did not win another championship until the 2025 Bare-handed Pelota First League Doubles with Beñat Rezusta.[9]
References
edit- ↑ L. G. (29 December 2011). "La primera lección para Ezkurdia". Diario de Navarra (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ Redacción (8 April 2018). "Ezkurdia y Zabaleta, campeones de Parejas 2018". Gasteiz Berri (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ Laquidain, Javier; EFE (18 November 2018). "Ezkurdia, campeón del 4 y medio". Cadena Ser (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ EiTB (17 November 2019). "Ezkurdia rompe los pronósticos y revalida la txapela". Kirolak EiTB (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ RC; EFE Bilbao (8 December 2020). "Ezkurdia y Martija, campeones del Parejas". Noticias de Alava (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ Ormazabal, Jon (20 December 2020). "El momento de Erik Jaka hace descarrilar a Ezkurdia en un duelo frenético (22-16)" (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ NaTV (20 November 2022). "Ezkurdia gana a Altuna en una final para recordar". Navarra Television (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ Redacción (29 May 2022). "Unai Laso consigue su primera txapela profesional en el Navarra Arena de Pamplona". Navarra.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.
- ↑ Morin, Ubay (31 March 2025). "Ezkurdia y Rezusta campeones del parejas 2025 tras vencer 22-20". 21 Iguales (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 April 2026.