Junior Siam Cup

On Sunday the 1^st of May, Phoenix Gym, Canberra, held the Junior Siam Cup, a Muay Thai competition for kids up the age of 16. There were children that came to compete all the way from Queensland, though the bulk of competitors were from NSW, SA and the ACT.

The Siam Cup is a non-profit sports initiative started by Jamie Tozeland as a way to hold a nationally recognised competition for juniors that adhere to the same basic set of rules, regulations and organisation that adult professional fight shows display, but changed slightly for the safety of the kids.

As Anthony Manning, owner and head coach of Phoenix Gym explained, it’s a great way for the kids to experience a full fight show.

“You run a show that you would for adults, with tickets and sales and entrances, but you just have kids doing it, so they get the whole fun of the experience well as the competition experience,” he said.

The judges and referees are all registered members of the World Muaythai Council, by way of being members of Muaythai Australia, and all possible efforts are taken to make sure the kids are matched evenly in age, weight and experience in order for a fair fight.

The crowd ranged from groups of 100-300 throughout the day, and lots of cheers and claps were given to both fighters, regardless of the outcome. The audience was mostly families, though a large proportion of the Phoenix Gym community attended as well, in order to help out and give encouragement to all those participating.

The day passed in a blur, with a full 15 fights running through smoothly. There were even a few instances of kids crying in joy from their wins, but at the end of the bouts most competitors stuck around for a few extra minutes to hug it out and exchange words of congratulations.

For many people, the question of why kids would be interested in fighting each other, or their parents condoning it, may be difficult to understand. But as Mr. Manning states, the parents are firstly interested in the discipline a martial art brings; fighting is a question that comes much later down the track.

“The parents do it because they want their kids to be fitter, and more disciplined, and more confident, and martial arts traditionally gives that to kids,” he said, going on to explain that if kids want to compete, they must be part of the intermediate group.

The kids must also be serious enough to follow the strict training schedule, pass the fitness test and be at the gym five times a week. The reason for all of this strict regiment, even to children as young as 10, is clear to Mr. Manning.

“It is not a competition you can take lightly, it is a tough sport,” he said.

Muay Thai certainly is a tough sport, and many can argue that it is dangerous. However, the majority of coaches wouldn’t think of putting a child that was not ready to compete in the ring, although there are always the exceptions.

This Siam Cup  was a wonderful display of good sportsmanship, cheerful competitors, a supporting crowd and happy parents and coaches. The kids have all worked so hard to get to competition, and the work certainly shone through today.