The achievement of the Euskadi Selection has undoubtedly been a historic achievement. But if you stick to that, for many Basques – I too, because I am Navarro – it will be the darkest and saddest day. After enjoying the joy and warmth of the first few days, let's go back to reality.

At the moment, only licensed Basque pelotaris can compete in Álava, Bizkaia and Gipuzkoa in the selection of the Basque Country. Therefore, Navarre and Iparralde are excluded from the call.

So the pelotaris of Navarre will represent Spain and those of Iparralde to France, respectively. Contestants will compete with the symbols of Spain and France. What is more, the struggle and the struggle between the Basques.

I know that we have been calling for Basque selection for more than 40 years, waiting for the Basque selection to go ahead. Is it worth waiting for so many years and getting the Basque Country Team instead of being the Basque Country Team? Is it about staying in the middle of the road? As I see it, no. Furthermore, it must be borne in mind that for some this has been sufficient and that what they think we want has already been achieved. That's it.

As Martxel Toledo points out, “we cannot forget at all that one more part of that officiality of achieving a total victory, and also that we still lack it, that is, that it is a selection of Basque ball that takes into account the seven countries”. Instead of saying the important, I would say the most important. The step taken is certainly not enough; if we stayed on that, better than before.

Unfortunately, we Basques have a close and clear experience. At the time of the transition, along with the pseudocracy, what was temporary between the Basques became the usual administrative division. The happiest and most historic day became the saddest and darkest day – at least for some Euskaldė. We cannot forget that since that day the Basques of Hego Euskal Herria were divided into two autonomous communities, the Basque Autonomous Community and the Foral Community of Navarra, each with its official institutions, its president, its parliament, its judges... One of these communities, moreover, has patrimonized the name “Basque”, not only on the initiative of the Spaniards, but also on the part of the malicious Basques, has given rise to the thought over time that the Basques are only from that Basque community, leaving the Navarros out.

In the field of sports we run the same risk, the same can happen. The fissure between euskaldunes may increase. I was surprised to see how few articles have been published on this risk, and among those who have published it, except that of Martxel Toledo, it seemed to me that headaches and the concern that can bring to the Basque Country the gap that can occur between Basque athletes have remained in the background.

Sport is one of the most important symbols of a people, and this is a very damaging precedent if, one day, it takes the same path as in other sports. Let us not fall back on the same mistake, let us put all the remedies before it is late, and let us put all the forces to achieve a genuine Basque selection.

Gerardo Luzuriaga
Nazar, Navarra