American pickleball star Anna Bright got a taste of Filipino hospitality as she received a champion’s welcome during her two-day visit to Manila, where she witnessed firsthand the growing passion for the sport in the country.
Fresh off her women’s doubles championship victory at the Hong Kong Slam, the world’s second-ranked player in doubles and mixed doubles was greeted by an enthusiastic crowd during a meet-and-greet at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall on Tuesday.
The 43-time Professional Pickleball Association Tour champion immediately won over the Filipino fans, opening her appearance with an enthusiastic greeting.
“Mabuhay! Salamat Manila! Salamat Pilipinas!” Bright exclaimed.
Embracing the local culture, the American star donned a pink Filipiniana bolero and revealed that she had already sampled Filipino favorites such as isaw and sisig.
Beyond the warm reception, Bright was particularly impressed by the enthusiasm of the local pickleball community and its eagerness to share Filipino culture with visiting athletes.
“The Filipino pickleball community here has been so, so, so incredible,” Bright said. “I knew how much everyone loved pickleball here, but the warm welcome, the culture, the desire to kind of share your culture with me… I’m so excited to be here in front of everyone today.”
Bright also sees tremendous potential for the sport to flourish across Asia, pointing to the region’s growing participation and the increasing visibility of pickleball in public spaces.
(C) PPA-Asia
“As a spectator sport, pickleball is going to grow so fast in Asia. I think it can even grow faster than the United States where we have other sports that are already very big, very established,” she said.
“But here you have courts in malls, and there’s tons of people watching.”
Beyond promoting the sport, Bright also shared a message of perseverance for young Filipina athletes, encouraging them to embrace failure as part of their development.
“Failing is part of the process; failing, losing, these are all normal parts of life, but it doesn’t have to mean that you’re not going to get back up,” she said.
Bright’s visit also comes at a crucial time for Philippine pickleball, with the country preparing to host the PPA Asia Tour in 2027.
The Philippine leg will feature the PPA 125 and the PPA 500 – Manila Open at the upcoming Helios SPARC facility in Pasig City, bringing international-level competition closer to Filipino players and fans.
For Dickie Bachmann, former Philippine Sports Commission chairman and current head of operations of Kosmas Athletic Ventures Corporation, Bright’s appearance provides a significant boost to efforts to introduce the upcoming tournaments to the local community.
“First of all, we want to thank Anna Bright for coming over, for helping us promote Helios first, and then hopefully also promoting the PPA 125 and 500,” Bachmann said. “We needed her to actually introduce to everyone here the PPA 125 and the 500.”
Bachmann also underscored the significance of bringing the tour to the Philippines, noting that local players have traditionally traveled abroad to compete in PPA events.
“For the people here to experience the PPA here… kasi andaming mga Pilipino that will go to Vietnam, Malaysia, just to play in the PPA,” he said.
“And now they don’t have to fly over; it’s here, we’re bringing it here for them.”
