Chinese Girl Joins New Zealand National Team, Aiming for Future World Champion Title

Staff Writer: Yima
Image Source: Supplied

At the 2024 Paris Olympics, many new sports made their debut. Muay Thai entered the Olympic arena for the first time as a demonstration sport, marking its historic inclusion in the Games.

New Zealand female Muay Thai athlete Ishtar Mackey-Huriwai showcased the art of Muay Thai at this year’s Olympics.

Among her teammates is a talented Chinese girl with an impressive record, a rising star in the Muay Thai world. Today, we have the privilege of speaking with this young athlete, Lillian Dong, as she shares her story.

Chinese Girl in New Zealand National Team

On June 22, at the New Zealand Wushu Sanda Championship held in Wellington, Chinese Wushu Sanda （ a Chinese martial art and combat sport that combines elements of traditional Kung Fu with modern fighting techniques, including punches, kicks, and grappling）athlete Lillian won first place in the competition.

In April of this year, Lillian also received an invitation letter from the International Federation of Muaythai Associations (IFMA).

This means that she will represent New Zealand's national team at the IFMA . What makes this even more remarkable is that she is the only Chinese girl on the team.

This Year 12 student from Macleans College in Auckland officially became the first Chinese female athlete in New Zealand Muaythai national team history, representing New Zealand at the World Youth Championship.

Although only 16 years old and relatively new to the sport, she is already a seasoned fighter in the ring.

She has participated in the Oceania Wushu Sanda Championship and the New Zealand Youth Muaythai National Championship, as the only Chinese high school student in the competition.

In the 9th (Brunei) Youth Wushu Sanda World Championship qualifier, she secured first place in the 48-50kg women's category, earning her a spot to represent New Zealand.

In the Muaythai and Sanda communities of New Zealand, Lillian is already gaining recognition.

A Martial Arts Family Legacy

Lillian comes from a small fishing village in Chixi, Cangnan, Wenzhou. She attended Chixi Primary School until Year 5, before moving to New Zealand at the age of 10 with her father.

Although Chixi is a humble fishing village, it has a long history, and it is home to the nationally protected heritage site of Baiwan Fort. To honor their ancestors' fight against pirates, Baiwan Fort holds a traditional cultural festival every Spring Festival, with Southern Fist (Nanquan南拳) performances being a key feature.

The people of Chixi hold martial arts in high regard. Martial arts have been passed down through generations, and the village has a strong tradition of practicing Southern Fist. A master of Southern Fist, Xili Dong, was born here—and he happens to be Lillian's great-grandfather.

Influenced by their ancestors, Lillian's entire family has a deep respect for both literature and martial arts. They pursue excellence in both, and her father, Helang Dong , who grew up watching his elders practice Southern Fist at Baiwan Fort, developed a great passion for martial arts.

His nephew, Lillian's cousin, Naiheng Dong , once won the Zhejiang Youth Boxing Championship and ranked in the top three for China's U15.

After many years of living in New Zealand, Herang Dong decided to establish a Chinese martial arts school. He named it "Sanda Academy," using the pinyin letters of Chinese Wushu Sanda, hoping to introduce this form of martial arts to New Zealanders in the most direct way.

The approach worked well, as many foreign students have come to understand Sanda through the school.

Herang is also passionate about promoting Chinese martial arts in New Zealand. At an anti-violence event in Auckland this year, he conducted live demonstrations, teaching self-defense techniques to the Chinese community.

Additionally, he became the first Chinese coach of the New Zealand Muay Thai national team.

From Zero to the World Stage

As a girl, Lillian didn’t start practicing martial arts early like her family members, nor did she plan to become an athlete.

In her early years of studying in China, she was an excellent student and appeared fragile, rarely participating in sports activities.

It wasn’t until the end of 2022, after her father established the Chinese martial arts academy in New Zealand, that she began her martial arts journey.

At first, her father had no intention of leading her on the path to becoming an athlete. Some female students at the academy wanted sparring partners but struggled to find suitable ones.

Lillian volunteered to be their training partner, and it was during these sessions that her martial arts talent began to shine, especially in Muay Thai and Sanda, where she progressed rapidly.

Compared to her time in China, schoolwork in New Zealand was less stressful, and she had more free time. After school, she spent most of her time in the gym, receiving training from top coaches from around the world.

After a few months of systematic training, Lillian's talent became apparent, and her skills soon surpassed those of other students her age.

In addition to her exceptional technical abilities, she showed great courage, actively participating in many sparring matches.

During these matches, she began to stand out and caught the attention of Victoria Parr, the head of the New Zealand national team. Parr commented that Lillian's maturity and skill level made it hard to believe she had only been training in Muay Thai for just over a year.

With Parr’s strong recommendation, Lillian smoothly joined the New Zealand Youth National Team, filling a gap in the 48 kg weight class.

“I hope to be a world champion someday”

Now, Lillian has accumulated a wealth of competition experience in both Muay Thai and Sanda, achieving outstanding results.

She has earned third place in the Oceania Wushu Sanda competition, first place in the New Zealand Wushu Sanda Championship, and first place in the New Zealand Muay Thai National Championship.

In the 48-50 kg Muay Thai category, she is arguably the strongest young athlete in New Zealand.

According to her father, Lilian is very eager to participate in the Olympic Games in the future, especially since Muay Thai is listed as a demonstration sport in the Olympics this year and will probably become an official competition sport in the future.

They hope that one day, she will fulfill her dream of representing New Zealand and bringing her beloved sport to the world stage. At her young age, the possibilities are endless.