Diego Alvarez

“Badminton may not get the same respect as other sports, but any true player knows the intensity and strategy it requires.”

Growing up in Buenos Aires, Diego discovered his love for competitive badminton early on. He moved to Los Angeles to pursue his dream of becoming a professional player, despite his family's resistance. Diego has since made a name for himself in the SoCal badminton scene, winning several local tournaments and even earning a spot on the Argentinean national team. In his downtime, you can find him experimenting with new beard grooming techniques, or binge-watching telenovelas.

What inspired your love of badminton?

My older brother was a player, and I used to watch him practice every day. I was fascinated by the speed and agility required to play.

How did your family react to your decision to pursue badminton professionally?

They were not very supportive at first. In Argentina, badminton is not a very popular sport, so they didn't understand why I would choose it over something like soccer. But over time, they came to see how passionate I was and started to support me.