International Federation of Basque Pelota Approves Membership Application Amid Controversy
The International Federation of Basque Pelota (FIPV) has approved the membership application of the Euskadiko Euskal Pilota Federakuntza-Federación de Pelota Vasca de Euskadi (EEPF) as a full member. This decision was made during the FIPV’s Ordinary General Assembly held in Pamplona on December 28.
The EEPF has hailed this decision as a “historic step,” but the news has been met with caution due to the close vote and the possibility of allegations being presented against this decision.
Spanish Pelota Federation Rejects Decision and Announces Legal Action
The Spanish Pelota Federation (FEPelota) has issued a statement categorically rejecting the FIPV’s decision and announcing its intention to take legal action. The FEPelota claims that the decision is a “nationalist attack on Euskadi in the International Basque Pelota Federation.”
The FEPelota has stated that it will defend its rights in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and Spanish courts, with the backing of the Spanish Olympic Committee and the Spanish Sports Association (ADESP).
Allegations of Irregularities and Lack of Transparency
The FEPelota has alleged that the FIPV’s decision was made through a flawed and opaque procedure, with statutory modifications that lack transparency. The president of the FEPelota Management Board, Julián García Angulo, has stated that the federation will resort to both the ordinary justice system and the CAS to challenge the assembly agreements adopted.
García Angulo has also claimed that the procedure included the irregular exclusion of Spain through hasty disciplinary sanctions, breaching the FIPV’s own regulations.
Support from the Spanish Olympic Committee and ADESP
The FEPelota has expressed that it has the unanimous support of Spanish sport, with the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee (COE), Alejandro Blanco, and the general secretary of the ADESP, Vicente Martínez, expressing their full support for the legal actions to be undertaken.
The FEPelota’s legal defense will be led by Gonzalo Jimenez Illana, a jurist specialized in sports law. The federation has also appealed to the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to exercise prudence and not ratify any agreement derived from the assembly until all legal bodies have ruled.