Bermuda?s first professional squash player, Nick Kyme, is to leave the Island in September to live and train full-time in the Belgian capital, Antwerp.

By his own admission, the world number 71?s progress during his two years on the world tour has been hampered by remaining at home, where a lack of competent training partners has meant that the motivation to push himself consistently beyond the comfort zone has not been easy to summon.

In three months time, however, Kyme will be renting a small studio apartment only a few minutes walk from one of the main squash clubs in Antwerp, which serves as a training base for Bermuda?s adopted son David Palmer, the world number two, and his world renowned coach Shaun Moxham.

Moxham, who coached Bermuda?s other professional player James Stout for three years before the latter decided to concentrate on becoming a coach himself, has agreed to take Kyme under his wing for the entire 2006/2007 season.

?It?s a fantastic opportunity,? said the 25-year-old yesterday. ?I have been looking for a place to go where there are plenty of other professional players who I can hit and train with, which is within easy reach of tournaments and importantly, not too expensive.

?I always said when I started out on this that I would give it three years and so this year is probably the last chance I?ll have to make it as a professional player. You could say I left it a bit late, but now that I have an opportunity to go away, I won?t look back in a few years time and regret not giving myself the best possible opportunity.

?There are players in Belgium ranked roughly the same as me, while there are also people like Dave Palmer who are levels above me and it will be fantastic to train alongside him from time to time.

?Staying at home has had its advantages, in that I?m very close to the States where there are quite a few tournaments. But it?s been hard because I?ve had to be entirely self-motivated. Unlike a lot of the other players, I do not have anybody constantly around keeping me going and making sure I put in the fitness work.

?I?m better than I used to be. In my first year, on the tough days I?d say to myself, OK just do 20 minutes on the bike rather than an hour, which obviously wasn?t ideal.

?But in Belgium there will be plenty of guys doing the same thing and even if you don?t feel like putting in the work, because everybody else is doing it it forces you to get on with it ? which is exactly what I need.?

Squash players, even at the very top level do not make a lot of money ? and Kyme?s decision to move is based in part on the need to make it or cut his losses and get another job so that he can start to make inroads into debts left over from his college career in the US.

?There is going to come a time when a decision will have to me made,? he said.

?Obviously a college education is not the cheapest, and for the last couple of years I have been able to push back the repayments. But by the end of this year, if I am not doing well, then I?ve got to be realistic enough to say that?s it and then move on to something else.

?It?s going to be a tough year, but I?m looking forward to it and hopefully it will work out how I want it to.?