Dai Le (Fowler, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate one of Fowler's great local success stories: Cabra Muay Thai, founded by local resident Peter Chau and a few neighbours, in January 2021, just after the COVID pandemic. What began as a group of young men training in a Cabramatta backyard, to keep fit and stay connected, is now a thriving community. Today, Cabra Muay Thai has nearly 400 members and employs a team of 11, training everyone—from young people to families to professionals—from all walks of life.

Peter's vision was simple, yet powerful: to bring Muay Thai home. For years, he shared with me, he had to travel across Sydney and even to Thailand just to find proper training. He was determined to make this incredible sport accessible right here, in the heart of one of Australia's most culturally-diverse South-East Asian communities.

Muay Thai—known as the 'art of eight limbs'—is more than just a sport. It's a family-style, community-centred culture that builds strength, respect and resilience.

We saw this spirit recently when Cabra Muay Thai trainer and member Ik Kyu defeated Spanish contender Kevin Martinez to claim the prestigious 1774 Muay Thai competition at the William Inglis Hotel. The entire Cabra crowd was proudly behind him.

That community spirit is spreading across Fowler at places like White Lotus Muay Thai, where I recently had a go at a Muay Thai class, and other local gyms. More and more young women, particularly, are taking up the sport. This proves that Muay Thai in Fowler is about empowerment as much as it is about competition. Congratulations to the team at Cabra Muay Thai and their families.

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