Jeu de paume Jeu de paume Jeu de paume (; ) is a ball-and-court game that originated in France. It was an indoor precursor of tennis played without racquets, though these were eventually introduced. It is a former Olympic sport, and has the oldest ongoing annual world championship in sport, first established over 250 years ago. Originally spelled jeu de paulme, now it is called "real tennis" , court tennis (US) or courte paume (France). In the earliest versions of the game, the players hit the ball with their hands, as in palla, volleyball, or certain varieties of pelota. "Jeu de paume", or
Pelota Mano Court, Trebonne Father Tomas Ormazabal, travelling Chaplain for the Spanish community of North Queensland, dedicated it. The court was established through the efforts of the local Basque community. Handball is an ancient game. The Maya tribes of pre-Columbian America and the ancient Greeks and Romans had versions of the game. The Romans spread it throughout western Europe. In the area of modern-day France, a variation of the Romans' game of "pila" emerged, and during the Middle Ages it became known as "jeu de paume". Basque handball is a derivative of this game. Andrea Navajero, a Venetian historian, travelled through the Basque county