Basque pelota form of the word "" which may relate to a hard linen or leather ball filled with "" (fur or hair) or to the Latin words for strike or and is related to the English word "pellet". Today, Basque pelota is played in several countries. In Europe, this sport is concentrated in Spain and France, especially in the Basque Country. The sport is also played in Latin American countries such as Argentina, Chile, Uruguay, and Cuba. Operated as a gaming enterprise called Jai Alai, it is seen in parts of the U.S. such as Florida, Connecticut, Nevada, and Rhode Island.
Robert Alai Conjestina Achieng. In the wake of the Westgate shopping mall attack in Nairobi where over 65 people were killed, Alai was praised, both by local and international media for his timely and creative use of social media, mainly Twitter, to provide updates of what was happening at the mall. In a world of virtual media shut down by a government keen to spin the narrative to its own public image purposes, Alai virtually became the go-to person for the alternative, more accurate view. He was constant in his tweeting, all day and night long, reporting each and every significant happening.