Family of Cuban-American Eddy Álvarez is moved to see him carrying the US flag in Tokyo

The family of the Cuban-AmericanEddy Alvarez, baseball's flag-bearer for the United States at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, watched the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games with excitement and pride.

Álvarez, 31, was born in Miami, but his parents and grandparents are Cuban. His mother could be seen especially excited during the opening of the Olympics this Friday.

"It's an emotion that I tell you I can't even explain. The moment he came out, with that flag... Nothing, I was left speechless," said the mother, shocked and proud of her son.

Alvarez ismember of the United States baseball team. . . . Alongside the veteran basketball playerSue Bird They were in charge of carrying the national flag of that country at the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympic Games.

It is the first time that the flags of each country entered the stadium accompanied by a man and a woman, as a sign of the gender equality defended by this world sports event.

Álvarez commented on his profile on the social network Twitter that he would wave the American flag with great pride and thanked all the people who honored him with such a privilege.

Heplayer belongs to the Marlins and works in the Triple A branch of the team. He initially trained as an athlete inice speed skating, a specialty with which he won a silver medal at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

Infobae He indicated that the Cuban-American is the first baseball player to hold the Olympic flag for the United States.

“Being a first-generation Cuban-American, my story represents the American Dream. “My family has sacrificed so much for me to have the opportunity to fly this flag with pride,” Alvarez recently told reporters.

Last year also set a record, becoming thefirst Olympic winter sports medalist to play in Major League Baseball, playing second base for the Miami Marlins.

He is also the second Olympic medalist from a sport other than baseball to reach the Major Leagues. He achieved it afterJim Thorpe, Olympic gold winner for the United States in athletics and who played in the MLB between 1913 and 1919.

The United States team is one of the favorites in these games. If Álvarez managed to get on the podium in this Olympic event, he could become the third American to win medals in the Winter and Summer Olympic Games.

Álvarez positioned himself in support of the people of Cuba after the 11J protests and called for the end of the dictatorship on the island.

It is estimated that about a dozen athletes of Cuban blood participate in the United States delegation, in different sports.

TheCuban delegation attends Tokyo 2021 weakened, with only 69 athletes. It is the smallest of its kind since 1964. Even so, sports authorities on the island have indicated that the goal is to place among the top 20 countries.

The standard bearers for the island were the fighterMijain Lopez, several-time Olympic champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, and the world champion in discus throwingYaime Perez.