Héctor Olivera Amaro

Cuban baseball player. He made his debut in the XLIII National Baseball Series at age 18 in 2004. He has won the title of University World Champion, silver medalist at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, and Most Valuable Player of the XVII Intercontinental Baseball Cup.

He was born in Santiago de Cuba. Son of Caridad Amaro and Héctor Olivera, a baseball player from Cienfuegos, he spent his early years in Cienfuegos. Father of a boy, he studied a degree in Physical Culture and Sports.

He began his baseball career as a pitcher in 1994 at the age of 9 years old alongside experienced Santiago coach José Manuel Zayas Andreu at the Pepín Carrillo Softball Stadium of José Martí Norte, where he achieved excellent results in the youth category.

He made his debut in the major leagues in the XLIII National Baseball Series of 2004, at the age of 18 years old. Since then he has continued reaping victories that have earned him national and international recognition from the country's and province's leadership, and from the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba.

The former second baseman of Team Cuba Antonio Pacheco, who has also managed him in Santiago de Cuba, has expressed his opinion about Olivera saying that: "what a stroke of talent he has been recognized as a complete baseball player and that he is a natural second baseman."

He holds several recognitions for work developed in the youth and juvenile stages, as most outstanding athlete, leader in Batting and leader in Hits. He has participated in national and international events such as:

National Pioneer Baseball Championship in 1997.
X Pan American Baseball Championship youth category 11–12 years held in Dominican Republic in 1997.
Latin American Baseball Festival held in Colombia in 1997.
XX World Youth Championship in Quebec Canada in 2002.
Youth Pan American, Curaçao 2003.
Friendly Meeting Cuba - Venezuela 2005.
III University World Baseball Championship 2006.
XI Rotterdam Tournament.
XXXVII Baseball World Cup.
Part of the pre-selection for the First Classic and in the 2nd he was included in the roster of players for the event.
Pre-World Tournament – Pre-Pan American in Puerto Rico.
V University World Championship, Tokyo, Japan.
XVII Intercontinental Baseball Cup, Taichung, Taipei of China.
Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Recognition
Héctor Olivera with the trophy for most valuable player of the XVII Intercontinental Baseball Cup
Héctor Olivera with the trophy for most valuable player of the XVII Intercontinental Baseball Cup
Recognized among the 10 best athletes in the youth category in Cuba in 2003.
Recognized among the best athletes in team sports in Cuba in 2007.
Member of the All-Star Team in 2008 in Cuba.
Among the 10 best athletes of the year 2010.
Most Valuable Player of the XVII Intercontinental Cup.
Member of the All-Star Team at the Puerto Rico Pre-World Tournament in 2010.
Best 2nd Base in the All-Star Team of the XVII Intercontinental Cup 2010.
Best Second Base in the All-Star Team of 2012 in Cuba.

In 2014 he left the island of Cuba to pursue the dream of playing in the Major Leagues.