Gomuta

Gomuta is a personal project by Amsterdam based photographer Yeray Sabandar, centered around the traditional sport of Jai Alai. It encapsulates the values of friendship, passion, and memories, striving to preserve the sport and its culture.

'Gomuta' is a photography project by Amsterdam-based photographer Yeray Sabandar, documenting a group of Basque teenagers determined to keep the world of Jai Alai alive. This traditional Basque ball game—once celebrated for centuries—lost much of its popularity after the 1980s. Played by bouncing a ball off a walled court at high speeds using a handheld wicker cesta, Jai Alai is known for its speed, intensity, and cultural significance.

With this series, Sabandar captures a tight-knit group of young players who have committed themselves to preserving the spirit and legacy of a sport that has faded into obscurity. Their passion and persistence mirror the resilience of Basque culture itself—a culture that has endured civil war, dictatorship, and suppression, yet continues to survive and assert its identity.

The project, titled Gomuta—the Basque word for memory—is inspired by Sabandar’s own childhood experiences, playing ball games with friends in his grandparents’ village. Through these photographs, he seeks not only to document a dying tradition, but also to keep it from becoming merely a memory.

A printed publication of Gomuta is available at: www.yeraysabandar.com/book