At the age of 14, Sacha Kruithof bought a flight to the Netherlands without telling his parents to compete in a pilota championship, the Valencian national sport. He had been looking for his life through the companies of Orba, his hometown, so that, in a kind of crowdfunding, they would cover his adventure expenses. When he was a month and a half away from the tournament, he told his parents since he needed authorization to fly just because he was a minor. "I had to negotiate and the choice of the Netherlands was not accidental." Although he was born in Orba, his father is Dutch, and the "excuse" that his family could go see him play seemed enough to convince them. He finally he got it.
More than a decade later, this international driver has just signed for a Belgian professional league team. He will be the first foreigner to play in this championship that has seven divisions and around 1,000 clubs. It has not been easy to get there. "Last year I went and saw Belgium playing in the fifth division so that they could see that I could adapt perfectly to the modality of llargues that is played there." He explains that, in the Central European country, the protections are supplied with a glove and you don't play in the irregularity of the streets, and that is why it was necessary for them to see him play before signing.
Kruithof is one of the athletes who will participate from next March 27 in the Pilota World Championship to be held in the Valencian town of Alzira. The competition will be the one with the most participation in all history with a total of 21 teams. The fact that regions as well as countries can participate will make the Valencian Community play with its own team, as will the Basque Country. The rest of the competitors will be France, England, Ecuador, Belgium, Paraguay, Argentina, the Netherlands, Mexico, Costa Rica, Portugal, Italy, USA, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Colombia, Uruguay, Japan, Australia and Canada.
The modalities that are played in this edition of the World Cup are the international game, llargues, One Wall and the one chosen by the organizing headquarters, in this case the Valencian fronton. Kruithof, who will participate in llargues and One Wall, talks to La Vanguardia a few days before the event begins.
What can the celebration of the World Cup in Valencian lands mean?
It is a great opportunity to bring the pilota closer to the general public, to get to know it further, from another perspective. I have traveled all over the world, I was in the 2017 World Cup in Colombia [he was third at the age of 19 in his first World Cup] and I have realized that it is a game that is deeply rooted in different peoples and cultures with a particularity : Although the game is played differently in each place, the ball unites us. Sometimes we believe that it is something related only to our town, our environment, but it is a global game that many people know.
He was even playing in New York.
After playing in the Netherlands, I managed to go to London to deliver a shirt to one of my idols, William Polanco. In the United Kingdom I coincided with him and I was giving him the turra until he invited me to play in New York. He was 16 years old and I spent two months living at his mother's house and playing One Wall, a dream.
And how about the experience?
It was a reality check. He didn't beat anyone. Even the least fit guy in the neighborhood beat me. I realized the big difference between Europe and America. All in all, it was a very positive experience, imagine two months in New York, a city that never ends. It was literally mind blowing. When I returned to the town I explained that pilota was also played there and they did not believe it. Of course, I realized that I had to wake up and train a lot if I wanted to dedicate myself professionally to this.
However, years later, he was voted the best player in the world in 2021. What did you feel?
It was incredible. I come from a small town, I started playing when I was 4 years old, my brother was already playing and I took the ball everywhere. I remember that every day of the year I played against the neighbor's wall while he tried to take a nap. That helps me value where I come from. Everything has happened without expecting it and very quickly.
And what challenges do you have now?
I like that idea of being a glocal athlete, facing new rivals and getting to know new game modalities and, also, other cultures. It must be taken into account that in each site the game is played according to its traditions. Even each ball is made with materials characteristic of the place where it is played.
Can you make a living with the pilota?
I do dedicate myself professionally to this. I have important sponsors like Balearia, but it is true that the less you depend on sponsors, the better. Now, taking advantage of our participation in the Belgian league, we want to open an academy in Belgium and, since I never stop and I have a transversal profile, I do television things.
