Jacques de Saint-Pastou

Jacques de Saint-Pastou was a French journalist and sportsman, particularly a great promoter of Basque games and sports. In 1911, he initiated the first pelota championships and three years later, he became president of the Central Commission of Basque Pelota. In 1921, he was a co-founder of the French Federation of Basque Pelota and its first secretary general. In his house in Saint-Jean-de-Luz, he established a museum of Basque sports.

De Saint-Pastou was a member of the Executive Committee of the 8th Olympiad in Paris. There, he enforced the introduction of pelota as a demonstration sport including the building of a new court in Paris for this occasion.

As a journalist, he contributed to the magazines Pyrénées and Gure Herria and under the pen name Jacques Beritz to Miroir des Sports and Presse. De Saint-Pastou published books under both names about Basque sports and pastimes.