Pink Roses, a Police Escort and a Mystery Paddle: Anna Leigh Waters in Manila
Andrew LeeAnna Leigh Waters touched down at NAIA at 5:55am on 13 Oct to fans, cameras and pink roses from the Franklin team. A police motorcycle escort, a van wrapped in her likeness and a Franklin x Anna Leigh Waters Mustang were waiting outside.
Manila is the first stop of Franklin's Asia pickleball showcase tour, and The Pickle Base followed the World No. 1 through her first day in the city, from the airport to the first public stops.
Three Stops in One Day
The day's schedule had three meet and greets: Decathlon Pasig at 1:30pm, Chris Sports at One Bonifacio High Street, BGC, at 3:45pm, and Pickle Lab at SM Aura Premier, BGC, at 5:30pm.
Decathlon Pasig came first. The store had a pickleball court built inside it, and Waters met fans there, joined by her mother and coach, Leigh Waters, and her father, Stephen Waters. Franklin's Head of International, Jared Franklin, and Jessica De Leon Ramos, Decathlon Philippines' Country Marketing & Communications Director, were also on hand.
The Paddle With the Question Mark
On the table beside her sat a Franklin paddle with a question mark on its face. The Pickle Base notes that nothing about it has been made public yet.
Ahead of the showcase, Franklin had teased an upcoming paddle launch with a mystery all-black paddle (The Manila Times). Franklin balls and paddles were signed for fans at the Decathlon store.
A Short Game, and Words From the Hosts
Jared Franklin said pickleball in the Philippines is already growing, and that bringing Waters over was his way of adding fuel to the fire. Jessica said she was proud to see a woman dominate the sport.
Waters also played a short game against Gabe Carlisle, the 12U mixed and women's doubles champion at the Junior Pickleball Cup.
Next Stop: Chris Sports
The Chris Sports stop sat in front of a Franklin Asia Pickleball Showcase backdrop. Chris Sports is one of the retailers that sells Franklin products in the Philippines, per The Manila Times. Waters appeared with her family, and The Pickle Base credited Jared Franklin, Chris Sports and its Managing Director, Liza Yuquico, with making the stop possible.
The caption has her "learning the local way" with halo-halo, and a Philippine flag fan was part of the scene.
Kuala Lumpur Is Next on the Tour
Malaysia is the next stop on the tour. The Franklin Pickleball Asia Pro Showcase 3 is on 17 Oct at 91 Pickleball, Hextar World @ Empire City, with doors at 4:30pm and the showcase starting at 6pm (SAYS). SAYS also reports that the Super Fan and Super VIP Fan Packs include early access to Franklin's unreleased "?" paddle.
Waters' Kuala Lumpur opponents are covered in our earlier piece, Malaysian opponents named for the KL date.
This article is based on social media posts and historical data tracked by Pickle361.
