Bankia S A : and the Fundació per la Pilota Valenciana present the professional leagues at Alqueria Julià

• The 'Lliga Bankia de escala i corda' turns 30, while the 'Lliga Bankia de raspall - Trofeu Diputació de València' will face its 38th edition
• The presentation was the first official event held at the 'Alqueria Julià', which has been restored by Bankia with an investment of 3.5 million euros and assigned to the Federación de Sociedades Musicales de la Comunidad Valenciana (FSMCV)
• Bankia's corporate director in Valencia and Castellón, Jaime Casas, underlined that 'Bankia's DNA includes a true passion for pilota and music, a true passion for the Comunidad Valenciana'

On Wednesday, Bankia and the Fundació per la Pilota Valenciana presented at the Alqueria Julià in Valencia the most important competitions for the professional pilota teams: the 'Lliga Bankia de escala i corda', which is facing its 30th edition, and the 'Lliga Bankia de raspall - Trofeu Diputació de València ', which is celebrating its 38th anniversary.

The event was attended by Bankia's corporate director in Valencia and Castellón, Jaime Casas; the secretary for Culture and Sports of the Regional Government of the Valencian Community, Raquel Tamarit; the councillor for Sports of Valencia, Andrés Campos; the president of the Pilota Foundation, Josep Maria Catalunya; and the president of the Federació de Pilota Valenciana, José Daniel Sanjuan, as well as the players of both categories. The event also included intervention by Daniela González, president of the Federación de Sociedades Musicales de la Comunidad Valenciana, based in Alqueria Julià.

The event was conducted by Jaime Casas, who pointed out that 'celebrating this presentation at the Alqueria Julià is an opportunity to display one of the projects, framed within Bankia Escolta Valencia, of which we are most proud in the entity because it has meant the rehabilitation of this 17th-century Alqueria to turn it into the Casa de la Música'.

'This Lliga Bankia is a historic competition that brings together the best players in this sport', said Casas to thank players and authorities for their 'commitment' to the championship.

In his speech, the regional secretary of Culture and Sport has valued 'the fact that the pilota sport has maintained its activity despite the setbacks, even when we have had to play without an audience, which is a fundamental part of our sport', said Raquel Tamarit.

Then, the head of the Sports Department of the Diputació de València, Andrés Campos, said that 'the Diputació has always strived to accompany the pilota sport and, even more so, in these complicated times'. 'But the fact that competitions have continued to be held, is thanks to the effort and work of the players, the Fundation and the Federation. In addition, we have acted with maximum responsibility while gradually returning to normality', said Andrés Campos.

The president of the Fundació de Pilota, the entity that organises the competition, said he was 'proud to give this presentation in such a unique space in the city of Valencia as is the 'Alqueria Julià'. 'Music and pilota are identifying elements of all Valencian citizens. All of our parties include, fireworks and a good game of pilota ', he pointed out. Likewise, Josep Maria Catalunya thanked 'Bankia and the administrations for their involvement. Without their help we could not have completed last season and we would not be at this presentation today'.

For his part, the president of the Federació de Pilota Valenciana also stated that 'in the 'Lliga Bankia de raspall - Trofeu Diputació de València' a game day has already been played, it has been proven that the level is high, and we expect no less from the 'Lliga Bankia de escala i corda'. But, above all, we hope that it can be played with a certain degree of normality, as that would be the best news', said José Daniel Sanjuan.

Eight and six teams

In the 'Lliga Bankia de escala i corda', in which eight teams will participate, the opening game will take place on Friday, 15 January, in the Vila-real trinquet, while the 'Lliga Bankia de raspall - Trofeu Diputació de València', in which six teams will compete, played the first leg last weekend.

Both competitions will first play their regular stages. The 'Lliga Bankia de escala i corda' will consist of seven legs and a total of 28 games, while in the 'Lliga Bankia de raspall - Trofeu Diputació de València' there will be ten legs and 30 games.

Once this first elimination leg is passed, the four best teams in each league will enter the semifinals, which will be played back and forth with the possibility of extra time in the event of a tie, while the finals will be played in the form of a single game.

The players have expressed their desire that both competitions can take place normally bearing in mind the uncertain times that we are experiencing because of the pandemic and have expressed their satisfaction with the configuration of the teams and their teammates.

Alquería de Julià

The presentation took place at an emblematic venue of the Valencian capital. The Alqueria de Julià has been refurbished by Bankia with an investment of 3.5 million euros and transferred to the Federation of Musical Societies of the Comunidad Valenciana (FSMCV), which has established its administrative headquarters in this 17th-century building.

Alqueria Julià, a building owned by Bankia, was declared a National Artistic Monument in 1978 and an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2007, which is the highest level of protection for a building in the city of Valencia. The building is one of the few well-preserved Valencian farmhouses from the 17th century. In addition to its historical interest, the Alquería has valuable architectural features that have been restored, such as domes, paintings, frescoes, paving and tiles.