Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

Jamalco's centre, Nadine Bryan, accepts her Most Valuable Player award from the Warren McDonald, managing director of Berger Paints, after the Super League final. - Anthony Minott/Freelance Photographer

THE SUNSHINE Girlz' top centre, Nadine Bryan, is unavailable for a 2 1/2-week tour, which will see the teamtravel to Australia and then New Zealand as it prepares for this year's World Championships in New Zealand. Bryan, a dominant force for Jamaica in the centre of the floor, has taken time off to contemplate her future in the sport. "Although she has played for us for many years, Nadine has made a decision not to be with us at this time," said national head coach and former national player, Connie Francis.

"For a person who loves the game that much to make such a decision, she must have thought about it really carefully," Francis said.

A decorated player, Bryan is thought by many to be among the best in the world at the position, but has cited personal reasons to be the cause for the sabbatical, or possibly even permanent time away from the sport.

Best ever centre court player

"There are things I have to address, so I'm just not available now," said Bryan, who many regard as Jamaica best-ever centre court player.

Bryan first represented the island in 1996 when she participated in the World Youth Netball Organisation Tournament in Canada. She then went to the Caribbean Netball Tournament in St. Kitts and Nevis before moving on to the Americas Federation of Netball Association Tournament 1998 in Grenada.

Bryan, now 31, also took part in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Malaysia, the World Netball Championships in New Zealand in 2001, the Caribbean Netball Association Championships in Nevis (2001) and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England in 2002.

She was also a member of the team that took part in the World Netball Championships held here in 2003, and was recently named MVP after a stellar season for Jamalco in the recently concluded Berger Paints Super League.

While obviously disappointed by the player's decision, Francis, who took over as coach of the senior squad after a brief tenure by Maureen Hall last year, said: "We just have to respect her wishes right now.

"However, the door will never be closed on a player of such calibre," she said.

"When Nadine is at training, she trains very, very hard and she is really a team player, but right now we just have to accept that and move along."