Jai-alai was named by a man named Serafin Baroja in Spain in 1875.
Early in the 20th century, it became popular in the United States. There were 14 professional frontons. Only two are used today, one in Dania and one in Miami.
Jai alai is a sport that involves bouncing a ball off a walled-in court by throwing it at high speeds with a handheld wicker called a cesta.
Families and teams gathered on Friday, Sept. 8 for the first night of the season of Jai alai League Battle Court to watch Lifestyle Chargers vs. the Rebote Renegades play at the Magic City Casino in Miami.
Darryll Roque, a former University of Miami baseball player, competed for the Chargers and has been on the court for the last five years.
“I started in 2018 and now here we are in 2023 and now I am playing against guys who are top five in the world,” said Roque.
Jai alai will be played at the Magic City Fronton near West Flagler Street until December or you can watch it on ESPN online.
Corrections: An earlier version of this story misdescribed Serafin Baroja’s role in jai alai.
