Credits to: The Royal Gazette
Imani Phillips spent three weeks in Ho Chi Minh City and turned a school visit into a full-court cultural exchange—introducing pickleball to coaches and students while raising the sport’s profile in Vietnam.
Invited by Aiyetoro Hinds, a Bermudian footballer who serves as head of extracurricular activities at ESchool International School, Phillips ran sessions with teachers and pupils across the campus’s four pickleball courts. The stopover became a showcase for fundamentals, friendly competition, and plenty of questions about life in Bermuda.
“I had an amazing time at ESchool International School,” Phillips told The Royal Gazette. “Their PE department invited me to come and play pickleball with students as well as the teachers… I’m grateful for pickleball for taking me to all these places. To be in Vietnam and to have that opportunity was absolutely amazing.”
Credits to: The Royal Gazette
Hinds said the impact was immediate, on and off the court. “The experience was fantastic and the students were very excited,” he said. “As a Bermudian, it was a proud moment to see a fellow countrywoman showcasing her talent here. I could see how much both the coaches and students benefited from her visit.”
Phillips had pencilled in the Professional Pickleball Association Vietnam Open but ultimately entered smaller local events instead. She reached the quarter-finals in one draw and mixed in against a field heavy on high-level men, adding mixed doubles—pairing male and female partners—to her slate. “I got knocked out in the quarter-finals but it was a cool experience,” she said.
Now, Phillips is back in Bermuda preparing for the Pickleball World Cup in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, scheduled for October 27 to November 2.
