The Bermuda Sanshou Association has been thwarted in its efforts to compete at the World Wushu Championships in Kazan, Russia, this month because of a lack of funding.

Sentwali Woolridge and Krista Dyer were preparing for the championships up until Wednesday when the BSA conceded defeat in its attempts to cover the costs of the trip after government funding fell through.

The BSA’s endeavours were further compounded by visa issues, which meant the team would have to travel to the Russian Embassy in London en route to Kazan, further hiking up the price of the flights.

Although “every avenue was explored” to send Woolridge and Dyer to the championships, Garon Wilkinson, the BSA president, admits the loss of government funding sounded the death knell for the pair’s bid.

It will be the first time since 2007 that the BSA has not competed at the championships.

“The World Wushu Championships is the biggest event in the sport’s calender, so it’s disappointing not to be able to go,” Wilkinson said.

“We’ve been the most successful international martial arts organisation [in Bermuda] for the past decade and the Government has always realised that and tried to help us.

“The Government has helped us since 2012 but this year was different and I don’t think the timing of the election helped us at all.

“Government funding is always something we have relied upon but we weren’t able to get any this year and we have to become more self-sufficient financially.”

The BSA has enjoyed a proud legacy at the flagship championships for Chinese Martial Arts, with Sentwali’s cousin, Jermal Woolridge, winning a bronze medal in Ankara, Turkey, in 2011 and silver in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2013.

“Unless you have your head in the sand it’s obvious we have athletes competing at a very high level,” Wilkinson said.

“Whether that’s regionally or on the world stage, we’re actually going out and winning medals.”

Wilkinson said the BSA’s funding blow had ended Sentwali Woolridge’s dream of winning a championships medal before he retired.

His best finish was fifth in 2013. Reyel Bowen, the BSA team captain, was also slated to compete in Kazan before ruling himself out because of work commitments.

“Sentwali had planned to retire this year and this was to be his last fight on the world stage so we really wanted to make it happen,” Wilkinson added.

For the past two years the BSA has received funding from the Cash Back for Communities programme, which rewards groups with money seized from criminal proceeds, but were told by the Government that those coffers had run dry.

Wilkinson also believes the “inherently dysfunctional” Bermuda Martial Arts Federation’s non-compliance as a national sport governing body also severely hampered their chances of securing financial support.

“Government funding was never a guarantee because we don’t receive funding from the Department of Social Development and Sports’ National Sport Governing Bodies’ grant,” he said. “The reason for that is that the Bermuda Martial Arts Federation has been deemed to be non-compliant for a number of years.

“When the Government has limited funds it’s very easy to weed out the organisations that are non-compliant.

“That makes us an easy target not to receive funding. We’ve had issues with BMAF from the time we were established in 2005.”

Lessons need to be learnt from the BSA’s championships setback, says Wilkinson, who has demanded wholesale changes at the Bermuda Martial Arts Federation.

“The reason we’re consistently in a position where we can’t receive funding is because of BMAF,” said Wilkinson, who organised a petition in 2013 calling the BMAF to hold an AGM in order to elect a new executive.

“BMAF has not held a national championship since 2005 nor have they sent a team to any international competition — it has been very detrimental to the sport.

“Changes have to come from a ministry level and that needs to filter down to the Department of Social Development and Sports otherwise nothing will change. I know there’s a ton of other issues in Bermuda right now and not sending two athletes to Russia is small in the grand scheme of things.

“But it’s important to our athletes and we’re positively promoting martial arts through our youngsters who we have given an outlet to discover that, ‘Hey, I’m good at something’.

“We’ve seen kids go from being a failing student to a passing student, from an honour roll student to graduating from university and obtaining a full-time job. We’ve seen the full cycle.”

• Krista Dyer, a group instructor and personal trainer, will be hosting classes at the Studio One Fitness Showcase at City Hall car park from 8am to 1pm tomorrow.

The free classes will include spinning, sprint, sh’bam, body pump, body combat, Zumba, pole fitness, yoga and step.

For more details e-mail kspdyer@gmail.com or christina@studioone.bm.