ICYMI: Pickleball star Anna Leigh Waters grateful for Filipino fans’ warmth and support
It was an exciting time for the Filipino pickleball community when American professional pickleball player Anna Leigh Waters finally visited the Philippines and met her local fans.
During the Anna Leigh Waters Meet & Greet at Chris Sports in One Bonifacio High Street, Anna Leigh expressed her gratitude to Filipino fans who had been showing her love and support online and finally got the chance to meet her in person.
“I just want to say how much it really means you to me, how welcoming you guys have been and just the love I felt from each and everyone of you. It’s been really amazing,” the number one pickleball female player expressed.
Anna Leigh admitted that she did not know what to expect from her first visit to the country, but the warm reception she received showed her just how much the sport has grown among Filipinos.
“I really didn’t know what to expect coming to the Philippines aside from the (fact that) pickleball was growing here and exploding but I really know the love you guys showed me. I really appreciate it, so thank you guys so much,” she added.
The meet-and-greet also gave fans the chance to share Filipino culture with the international athlete. Anna Leigh was welcomed with Filipino music and enjoyed dancing along during the event. She was also taught a few Filipino phrases, including “Mabuhay, Manila! Tara! Let’s play!” and “Maganda kayo!” (You are pretty.)
One lucky fan even introduced her to halo-halo, a popular Filipino dessert that caught the athlete’s interest, especially since she considers herself a sweet tooth.
“I’ll try it,” she expressed.
Anna Leigh also shared a fun fact about the food that helps fuel her performance on the court, revealing, “Cake (actually) fuels my pickleball performance.”
Chris Sports Managing Director Liza Yuquico welcomed the athlete and highlighted the excitement surrounding her arrival among local pickleball players.
“Welcome to the Philippines! It’s really an honor to have you here in your first visit and of course having you here makes us proud in bringing you closer to the Filipino players,” she said.
“Anna Leigh, when the news broke that you will be coming here in the Philippines, the Filipino pickleball community is buzzing with excitement. It’s really amazing that with just your mere presence, how much you bring joy and excitement to our local players,” she added.
Executive Jared Franklin also expressed his excitement about bringing Anna Leigh to the Philippines, noting the enthusiasm of the local community.
“We are so thrilled to be here. The energy are just so electric. You guys made our stay here so exciting,” he said. “We hope that bringing Anna Leigh just adds more fuel to the fire in the ground of the sports. It’s just an exciting time for pickleball here in the Philippines.”