Torrelavega is set to host the finals of the 2026 National Petanque Club League from today until Sunday, 15 November. The event will take place at the Mercado Nacional de Ganados ‘Jesús Collado Soto’, bringing together 45 teams from across Spain and approximately 300 participants, including athletes and coaches.
The competition was announced by the local sports councillor, Nacho González, alongside Antonio Pérez, president of the Spanish Petanque Federation; Ramón Pila, president of the Cantabrian Petanque Federation; and Ana Díaz, president of the Peña Deportiva El Lobio. González expressed his delight at Torrelavega once again hosting such an important event for the sport of petanque, thanking the Spanish and Cantabrian federations and the Peña Deportiva El Lobio for their collaboration. He emphasised the significant effort behind the organisation of these competitions.
González also highlighted the Mercado Nacional de Ganados' long-standing role as a venue for petanque championships and encouraged locals and visitors to attend the event this weekend.
Antonio Pérez, president of the Spanish Petanque Federation, expressed his satisfaction with the return of national championships to Torrelavega, a city with a deep connection to the sport and facilities known as the “temple of petanque.” He noted that the National Club League is one of the most significant events of the season, featuring teams that have progressed through provincial and regional competitions throughout the year.
Ana Díaz detailed that the championship will feature 45 teams across men's, women's, and youth categories, each with a Division of Honour and First Division. She particularly noted the growth of the youth category, which was introduced last year and has expanded to include two divisions this year. Díaz expressed her pleasure at the Spanish Federation's return to Torrelavega and the involvement of Cantabrian organisations in hosting the finals.
The competition will follow a league system, where teams will compete to determine the final standings in each category, meaning there will not be a traditional final, although the last rounds will be crucial for identifying the winners.
The weekend's activities will commence today at 19:15 with an inaugural ceremony and the draw for the competition at the Centro Cívico Manel Echaves in Tanos, commemorating its connection to the sport. Matches at the Mercado Nacional de Ganados will begin tomorrow, 14 November, at 09:00 and continue until approximately 20:30. The competition will resume on Sunday, 15 November, starting at 09:00, culminating in a medal and trophy presentation scheduled for 12:30.
Ramón Pila, president of the Cantabrian Petanque Federation, praised the conditions at the Mercado Nacional de Ganados, referred to as “the Cathedral of Petanque” throughout Spain, and thanked the local government for its support in hosting the championships. He encouraged the public to come and discover a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from children to the elderly, and to realise that “petanque is much more than what appears in the media.”
