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The World Games Athlete of the Year 2024 – VOTE EVERY DAY FOR ALEXANDRA AND MONTSERRAT

The Racquetball Candidates, Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejía 🇲🇽 won the women’s doubles World Racquetball Championships in 2024. Furthermore, they helped Team Mexico win the Women’s Team title with a doubles victory and two victories in singles for Mejía.

Will they become The World Games Athlete of the Year 2024?

VOTE EVERY DAY ON:
www.theworldgames.org/awards/Athlete-of-the-Year-2024-136

➡️Note that you need to give votes to TWO athletes: 2 votes to your first choice and 1 vote to your second choice.⬅️

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II. Bilbao Tournament of Racquetball (Doubles)

 

On December 14 of 2024, the Basque Association of Beach Tennis and Minority Sports, the Racquetball section, organized the II Bilbao Tournament of Racquetball (Doubles). We played the first edition last year. This time 6 players met to play: Jon Ander Gil, Joseba Zubiaurre, Daniel Barrientos, David Bilbao, Egoitz Campo and Galder Etxebarria.

We have not yet been able to build a racquetball court with official dimensions. In the future we will continue trying. Until then we will continue playing our Basque tournaments at the Polideportivo de San Ignacio or somewhere similar.

So we met again at the San Ignacio Municipal Sports Center in Bilbao, and we made three couples. This time we played in doubles. We played all couples agaisnt all. Three matches in total.

If everything goes well and there are no setbacks in april we will compete in the III Basque CountryRacquetball Championship (Individual) and in august of next year the III Basque Country Championship but in doubles.

Here are the results of the II. Bilbao Racquetball Tournament (Doubles):

Matches

Egoitz Campo/Daniel Barrientos 2-0 Jon Ander Gil/ Galder Etxebarria (11-3, 11-4)

David Bilbao/Joseba Zubiaurre 2-1 Jon Ander Gil/Galder Etxebarria (11-8, 9-11, 11-6)

Egoitz Campo/Daniel Barrientos 2-1 David Bilbao/ Joseba Zubiaurre (11-6, 8-11, 11-8)

 

Classification of the II. Bilbao Tournament of Racquetball (Doubles)

1-Egoitz Campo (Basque Country) / Daniel Barrientos (Basque Country)

2-David Bilbao (Basque Country) / Joseba Zubiaurre (Basque Country)

3-Jon Ander Gil (Basque Country) / Galder Etxebarria (Basque Country)

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​Rehabilitation Racquetball Program hosted by the Asian Racquetball Federation

October 5, 2024 ​Rehabilitation Racquetball Program hosted by the Asian Racquetball Federation

Participants: 15

Guardians: 14

Guardians: 1

Total: 30 ​

All the information, pictures and videos: https://blog.naver.com/racquetballkorea/223608165431

Today’s Training

1. Spatial awareness training using frontcourt three-wall shot

2. Understanding the direction of rotation and keeping the turn by continuing with a quick pattern from the center of the backcourt

3. Spatial awareness training using backcourt three-wall shot and concentration training with a quick pattern

4. Training to understand and acquire a new training method in chaos through complex and difficult position changes

5. Training to measure the bounce height and distance by looking at the ball with a wide field of view through backwall shot

6. Concentration training using no-bound shot and impact sense training through quick pattern shot

7. Training that requires understanding of the game and quick judgment and quick movement through training to hit with one bounce and no bounce​

8. Basic racketball posture forehand swing establishment training

9. Training to control distance and determine ball hitting point by jumping back and forth

10. Basic racketball posture backhand swing establishment training

11. Ball control and sense training by hitting the ball up and down with the racket

12. Strength control and control training to bounce the ball up continuously by aiming the racket toward the ceiling.

13. Strength control and control training to bounce the ball up continuously by aiming the racket toward the floor.

14. Sense and control training to turn the racket face up and down.

15. Quickly hitting from the center of the service box to the left and right toward the front to expand reflexes and spatial prediction ability. ​

◇ Coach: President of the Asian Racquetball Federation, Jo Wang-gi

◇ Coach: Chairman of the Asian Disabled Racquetball Committee, Han Byeong-gu

◇ Coaching practice: Park Young-jae. Yoo Jun

 Inquiry: 010-7406-9191

[Source] Asian Racquetball Federation Rehabilitation Racquetball Program

Written by Racquetball Korea

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II. Basque Racquetball Championship (Individual) 2024

On Thursday, August 7th, the Basque Association of Beach Tennis and Minority Sports organized the II. Basque Racquetball Championship (Individual). We met, as always, in the Municipal Sports Center of San Ignacio (Bilbao). Until we build a court with the official dimensions, we have to play on courts like the one in San Ignacio.
We basically played two rounds; the semi-finals and the final. We included Luis in the first round, but the important thing happened later. David and Egoitz won their semi-final match easily and the final was a very close match. David, a new player, athlete and paddle and tennis player (as an amateur) with good physical condition defeated Egoitz in three games. Nice match where both of them put themselves to the maximum. David finally won and became the Basque Champion of the Basque Championships 2024. Joseba came after beating Mikel.
In December we met again for the II. Bilbao Tournament, and maybe this time it will be in doubles.

Here are the results:

1st round

David Cea 2-0 Lander Campo (11-2, 11-1)

Egoitz Campo 2-0 Luis Getxo (11-0, 11-0)

Semifinals

Egoitz Campo 2-0 Mikel Torde (11-3, 11-4)

David Cea 2-0 Joseba Fernández (11-2, 11-5)

Match for 3rd and 4th place

Joseba Fernández 2-1 Mikel Torde (11-5, 9-11, 11-4)

Final

David Cea 2-1 Egoitz Campo (9-11, 11-7, 11-5)

Classification of the II. BasqueRacquetball Championship (Singles)

1-David Cea (Basque Country)

2-Egoitz Campo (Basque Country)

3-Joseba Fernández (Basque Country)

4-Mikel Torde (Basque Country)

5-Lander Campo (Basque Country)

6-Luis Getxo (Basque Country)

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Mexican racquetball stars Herrera and Mejía named Athletes of the Month for August 2024

Mexican racquetball stars Alexandra Herrera and Montserrat Mejía have been honoured as The World Games Athletes of the Month for August 2024 following their incredible performance at the Racquetball World Championships in San Antonio, Texas. The duo’s victory marks a significant milestone in their careers, and both athletes are filled with pride and excitement about what the future holds.

“I feel very happy to win this World Championship. The competition was difficult, but we did it,” said Herrera, reflecting on their hard-fought win. Her partner, Mejía, echoed the sentiment: “I feel very happy to win this World Championship, the competition was difficult, but we did it.”

Their road to success was not without challenges. Herrera overcame a serious injury just weeks before the event. “The hardest thing was that I broke my middle finger on 3rd July and the Championship started on 22nd August. I thought I wouldn’t recover in time, but I did, and Montse and I have a strong connection after playing together for nine years,” Herrera explained.

Their longstanding partnership has been key in navigating the challenges of the tournament. Herrera is known for her calm and precise shots, while Mejía is recognised for her speed and intensity. Herrera said, “Montse and I complement each other very well. She’s very fast and has a strong character, while I am a player with precise shots and a calmer approach. We are the perfect couple.”

Both athletes recall significant moments throughout the World Championship. “There were several moments. It’s the World Championship, everyone wants to win and gives their best game,” Mejía shared. “In some games, I get nervous or desperate, wanting to finish the game. But I worked a lot with sports psychology to face those situations.”

Looking ahead to 2025, the duo is eager for the chance to represent Mexico at The World Games in Chengdu, China. However, only one spot is available for female players, and they remain uncertain about who will represent the country. “We still don’t know who will represent Mexico at The World Games,” Herrera said. Mejía added, “Whoever goes, I know will give their all to put Mexico on the top of the podium.”

Mejía and Herrera are also considering their preparation strategies. Mejía noted, “If I get to go to TWG in Chengdu, my preparation would have to change. There are many things to improve, although I have improved a lot, there is always more to improve.”

In terms of competition, both athletes recognise the calibre of opponents they may face at The World Games.

“There are many good countries like Argentina, Guatemala, USA, and Bolivia. The matches in The World Games will be intense,” Herrera confessed.

 

Balancing the pressures of elite sport with personal life is also essential for both athletes. Herrera shared her approach: “My parents always taught me to be competitive on the court, but off the court, it’s another thing. I have very good friends from other countries, and when they beat me, I congratulate them. Obviously, I don’t like to lose, but sometimes it’s my turn. I accept it and try to improve on what I failed at.”

As role models, both athletes hope to inspire the next generation of racquetball players.

“I would tell them to never give up, always fight for their dreams,” Herrera said. Mejía reinforced this message, saying, “Sometimes things don’t go the way we want, but we must keep working to achieve our goals and objectives.”

With their eyes set on the future, Alexandra Herrera and Montserray Mejía continue to lead by example, showing the world what Mexican racquetball is capable of achieving.

The International World Games Association (IWGA) is a non-profit-making international sports organisation recognised and supported by the International Olympic Committee. The IWGA comprises 40 International Member Sports Federations. It administers and promotes The World Games (TWG), a multi-sport event held every four years that features around 35 sports on its programme. The next edition of TWG will be in Chengdu (CHN) from 7-17 August 2025. 5,000 participants from more than 100 countries are expected to take part in this 12th edition. The latest Games were hosted by Birmingham, Alabama (USA).

For more information, please contact the IWGA Media and Communication team: press@iwga.sport, Tel: +41 21 311 12 97, or visit our website.

Post from https://www.theworldgames.org/news/Athletes-26/Mexican-racquetball-stars-Herrera-and-Mejia-named-Athletes-of-the-Month-for-August-2024-2561

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Asian Racquetball Federation Rehabilitation Racquetball Program

September 7, 2024
Rehabilitation Racquetball Program hosted by the Asian Racquetball Federation

Participants: 11
Coaches: 10
Supervisors: 1

Total: 22

Today’s training

1. Practice dimensional awareness with frontcourt three-wall shot

2. Understanding the direction of rotation and maintaining the rotation by continuing with a quick pattern from the center of the backcourt

3. Spatial awareness training with backcourt three-wall shot and concentration training with quick pattern

4. Understanding and acquiring a new training method in chaos through complex and difficult position changes

5. Training to measure bounce height and distance by looking at the ball with a wide field of view through the backwall shot.

6. Concentration training through no-bound shot and impact sense training through fast pattern shot

7. Training that requires understanding of the game and quick judgment and movement through training to hit with one bounce and no bounce.

8. Racquetball basic posture training to establish the forehand swing

9. Training to control distance and determine the point of impact of the ball while jumping back and forth.

10. Racquetball Basic Posture Backhand Swing Establishment Training

11. Ball control and sense training by continuously hitting the ball up and down with the racket

12. Ball height control and distance control training by hitting the forehand and backhand while moving back and forth.

Director: President of the Asian Racquetball Federation Jo Wang-gi

Coach: Chairman of the Asian Disabled Racquetball Committee Han Byeong-gu

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NEWS FROM IRF WORLD CONGRESS 2024

FOR INMEDIATE RELEASE

September 12, 2024

IRF NAMES SECRETARY GENERAL, OFFICERS AT XXII IRF WORLD RACQUETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS; ANNOUNCES OUTDOOR AS IRF DEVELOPING DISCIPLINE

On Thursday, August 22, at the 2024 XXII IRF World Racquetball Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Mauro Grandio Buzaleh (Argentina), IRF Director of International Competitions, accepted the position of IRF and PARC Secretary General effective September 1. Both organizations express their heartfelt gratitude to Luke St. Onge, founder of the IRF in 1979; Secretary General over many decades; and a foremost expert on Racquetball history. St. Onge now assumes the role of Executive Consultant to the IRF and will work closely with Grandio to effect a seamless transition. He will remain involved in perpetual support of Racquetball around the world.

Elections/Appointments

Following the adjournment of the 2024 IRF World Congress where an at-large election was completed by acclamation, the Board of Directors met immediately afterward to elect officers for a four-year term expiring at the World Congress in 2028. Osvaldo Maggi (Argentina) was re-elected as President; Dr. Estuardo Wer (Guatemala) was chosen as Executive Vice President; Cheryl Kirk (USA) returns as Secretary, Dean Schear (USA) is Treasurer and Rafael Fernandez (DOM) as Central American and Caribbean Vice President. The full Executive Committee can be found on the IRF’s official website at:

www.internationalracquetball.com/executive-committee-24/

Outdoor Racquetball Ratified as IRF Discipline

During the World Congress attended by 18 countries on five continents, National Federation delegates unanimously ratified by vote the inclusion of Outdoor Racquetball as a recognized and developing discipline under the IRF umbrella.

IRF President Osvaldo Maggi said, “This is a great step forward toward enriching and strengthening the international racquetball community by bringing the sport to countries not yet exposed to Racquetball widely, whether indoor or outdoor. We look forward to working with area-of-the-world and country leaders as well as manufacturer sponsors to continue to grow the sport globally.”

After Opening Ceremonies on Friday, August 23, World Championships competition began on Saturday, August 24, and continued through the finals on Saturday, August 31. The Awards presentation was live streamed directly after the conclusion of the Team Competition on the IRF’s YouTube Channel.

###

About the IRF

The International Racquetball Federation is the international governing body of the sport of Racquetball under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee. Founded in 1979, the IRF provides governance, rules, and leadership to its national federation members. The IRF offers three events annually and one, the IRF World Championships, biennially. It is the international umbrella organization for Racquetball over the Olympic Chain of events such as the Pan American Games, World Games, Central American Games, Central American and Caribbean Games, and IRF Regional competitions.

Website: www.internationalracquetball.com

Facebook: International Racquetball Federation

Instagram: international_racquetball

YouTube: international racquetball federation

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Basque Championship of Racquetball (Doubles) 2024

On March 27, the Basque Association of Beach Tennis and Minority Sports, the Racquetball section, organized the II Basque Racquetball Championship (Doubles). The last tournament we did was in December of last year. Then some members of the association go together to play a new individual tournament. This time we played the following players: Daniel Barrientos, Alain Ibañez de Opakua, Andoni Mariezkurrena, Egoitz Campo, Joseba Zubiaurre, Jon Ander Gil, Jan Dabi Romero and Axel Pernett.

This time we met again at the San Ignacio Municipal Sports Center in Bilbao. We stayed there because at the moment in Bizkaia there is no Racquetball court built, nor any court that has similar dimensions. However, in Oñati (Gipuzkoa) there is a field with very similar dimensions, and possibly the II. Basque Racquetball Championship (individual) that we want to organize in July or August we will do it there. In this tournament, last Wednesday we played two rounds: semifinals and the second round; match for 3rd and 4th place and the grand final; obviously after making 4 even pairs.

Egoitz and Daniel won their two matches and won the tournament; proving to be the most regular couple. Andoni and Axel came in second place. Finally, I would like to say that although it is difficult, we will try to build a court, but the Oñati court opens up a new horizon for us that is certainly positive. If every thing goes well in July or August we will go to the Oñati court to play the individual tournament of this II. Basque Championship. Here are the results of the II. Basque Racquetball Championship (Doubles):

Results

 Semifinals

Egoitz Campo/Daniel Barientos 2-1 Alain I./Jan Dabi Romero (11-8, 7-11, 11-9)

Andoni Mariezkurrena/ Axel Pernett 2-0 Joseba Zubiaurre/Jon Ander Gil (11-5, 11-6)

Match for 3º y 4º position

 Alain I./Jan Dabi Romero  2-0 Joseba Zubiaurre/ Jon Ander Gil (11-4,8-11, 11-7)

Final

Egoitz Campo/Daniel Barrientos 2-1 Andoni Mariezk./ Axel Pernett(11-7, 8-11 11-9)

Classification of the II. Basque Championship of Racquetball (Doubles)

1-Egoitz Campo (Basque Country) / Daniel Barrientos (Basque Country)

2-Andoni Mariezkurrena (Basque Country) / Axel Pernett (Colombia)

3-Alain Ibañez de Opakua (Basque Country) / Jan Dabi Romero (Basque Country)

4-Joseba Zubiaurre (Basque Country) / Jon Ander Gil (Basque Country)

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IRF World Senior Racquetball Championships 2024

PRESS RELEASE

FOR INMEDIATE RELEASE MARCH 25, 2024

MALIBU, California, March 25, 2024 – National Masters Racquetball Association President Cindy Tilbury, today announced that, for the first time ever, the 2024 NMRA International Racquetball Championships will be a combined tournament with the International Racquetball Federation World Senior Racquetball Championships.  The joint tournament will be held in Lombard (Chicago), Illinois at the famous Glass Court Racquet & Fitness Club, and the date of the event will be July 25-28, 2024.  Gary Mazaroff of the IRF will be co-tournament director with Cindy Tilbury from the NMRA.  Live streaming of selected matches will be offered on New Mexico Racquetball Facebook and National MastersRB Facebook page.

Both the NMRA and IRF are dedicated to providing social, competitive racquetball to senior and master racquetball players around the world.

General background on international racquetball and specifically for 40+ -year-old players

  • Racquetball’s World Team Championships will be held this year August 24-31 in San Antonio, Texas (USA). It is the first time staged in the USA since 1996 in Phoenix.
  • Historically, countries from five continents have been represented.
  • In addition to the World Championship menu under IRF, Racquetball has been part of the World Games (first time in 1981 in Santa Clara, CA USA); and next year will be included in Chengdu, China. Other countries having included racquetball in the World Games include England, Netherlands, Taiwan, and Colombia.
  • Racquetball is also part of the Pan-Am Games; held every four years (last time in 2023 in Santiago, Chile).
  • It is estimated that there are currently 5 million racquetball players worldwide.
  • Over the past decade, there has been significant growth in the sport in the Western Hemisphere, especially in the countries of Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, and Costa Rica.

International Racquetball Federation 40th World Senior Racquetball Championship Background

  • The inaugural year of the World Senior Racquetball Championships was 1985.There were 91 players registered.
  • In 1991, there were 403 participants.
  • Until this year, the tourney was in New Mexico.
  • Singles, same-gender doubles, and mixed doubles are offered. Squash 57 (racquetball racquet/softer, larger ball offered on a squash court) is a recent addition.
  • The International Racquetball Federation (IRF) includes World Seniors Racquetball Championships as one of its starship events; and is the single-most-important fundraiser for its ‘Development Fund’ over $500,000 has been raised on behalf of this event since 1989.
  • IRF events draw many Spanish-speaking players.
  • Over 40 countries and all US States have been represented in this event.
  • Gearbox Black is the official racquetball of the IRF. This ball will be used in the combined competition.

IRF website is here.  www.internationalracquetball.com

National Masters Racquetball Association Events Background

  • The NMRA started in New Castle, Pennsylvania, in 1971 when 11 racquetball friends got tired of traveling to tournaments and losing in the first round. They created a round-robin event as a small invitational.
  • Now, in its 53rd year, the two tournaments per year are intentionally moved around the country to attract first-time NMRA players from local pockets of racquetball enthusiasts, as well as to showcase private and corporate racquetball venues.
  • Initially, only men’s divisions were offered, then doubles and women’s divisions were added in the 1980s.
  • Pro Penn Green is the official racquetball of the NMRA.

NMRA website is here.  www.nmra.info  (See Tournaments tab for upcoming events.)

Gary Mazaroff stated that “the national and international tournament calendar was very full this year so it made sense to consider a merger of the two senior/master round-robin events into one big gathering.”

“Combining the two organizations’ events will add a greater international flavor for the National Masters players, and introduce IRF World Seniors players to a new area of the country.  We are excited to merge the two tournaments to create a great event for our traveling tournament player.  We will also look at continuing on this path into the future,” commented Cindy Tilbury, who has been the NMRA President and main tournament director for the past ten years.

Full information and registration links can be found here.  https://www.r2sports.com/tourney/display/tourney.asp?TID=41788

# # #

Both the International Racquetball Federation and the National Masters Racquetball Association are non-profit 501c3 corporations.  All donations are fully tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.

For more information on National Masters Racquetball, please contact Cindy Tilbury, NMRA President, at cindy.tilbury@att.net.  Gary Mazaroff is the current Rules Commissioner, Tournament Director, and Livestream Coordinator for the IRF.  His contact information is gmampro@gmail.com.