Jai-alai, (pronounced hi-li), the fastest ball game of them all, combining speed and danger, has a similarity to handball. It is played on a large court of from 150 to 195 feet in length, and the hard ball (pelota) is nearly as large as a baseball, struck with a long scoop-like basket (cesta) which is fastened to the wrist. The game, originated in the Basque country of Spain, is being played before large audiences in courts (frontons) in the large cities of Spain, South America, Mexico, Cuba, Belgium and China. Jai-alai is being featured in Miami and in the Hippodrome, in New York, played by individual champions and teams comprising an international league. The game thrives best where betting is allowed.
Boys are trained to play jai-alai from the age of six to ten, receiving an intensive schooling in the game, including their bed and board in a dormitory provided by their employer who sends a nominal sum of money to the boys parents. The leading players, including Guillermo, Iturrino, Motrico, Viscaya, Jose, Ramon, Segunda and Ugalde, became professionals at from age seven to thirteen. Guillermo was champion of the world for eight years. It is a game that amateurs cannot conquer.
Jai-alai players wear white flannel trousers and colored shirts. During the game, as points are made, the score changes rapidly on a large board in view of the spectators. The eyes of the excited spectators are constantly turning from one swiftly-moving player to another, following the ball on its bullet-like course.
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