Ambassador on a mission

Bahraini sailing star, Sami Kooheji will be at the edge of the water this weekend as he joins hands with the homegrown breast cancer awareness charity, Think Pink for a fundraising venture at the Bahrain Yacht Club.

Sami is the new goodwill ambassador for Think Pink, a role that he is happy to take on. "I joined Think Pink for two reasons: firstly I always believe in doing charity work and giving back to the community. I have supported Bahrain Palm Association in the last few years when I set my world sailing record.

"Secondly, Think Pink is a perfect platform to spread the message of awareness. I lost my aunt to breast cancer and realised that the disease can strike anyone at any age but if diagnosed early, it is curable.

"Being an athlete I can connect to a wider audience and spread awareness about the disease that strikes not only women but men too," said Sami, on a weekend trip to see family and friends in Bahrain.

Sami, 23, is a first officer with Sharjah-based airline Air Arabia and lives with his South African wife, Carrie, in Dubai.

He is currently training to compete in the Asian Games in November that will take place in China and is participating in regattas leading up to the big event.

Sami created a new world sailing record and became the first person to sail from Bahrain to Dubai non-stop in a dinghy. He also received a performance certificate from the World Sailing Speed Record Council for sailing around Bahrain in 2004 in just over 27 hours non-stop and had a taste of Olympic Games competition in Athens in 2004.

Now he has set his sights on glory in the solo 'laser standard' sailing category. Sami has sailed in many destinations around the world but says that Bahrain is his favourite sailing destination. "The winds are consistent and the sea water is very clean. South West side of Zallaq is ideal for sailing."

Despite his full-time job of an airline pilot and his time-consuming passion of sailing, Sami is enthusiastic about his new found role.

The Sail Sami Fundraising Fun Night is the first of many Think Pink events that Sami plans to support. "I do a number of talks for my sponsors and young people both in Bahrain and the UAE and breast cancer is one of the issues that I plan to bring to the forefront. Apart from that, the Think Pink logo will be displayed on my boat," he said.

Think Pink is a non-profit organisation that was founded by Jules Sprakel in 2004 and has since then grown in stature to become a nationwide breast cancer awareness organisation and charity, supported by GulfWeekly. Through its efforts it raises funds for breast cancer awareness, detection and treatment.

She said: "Sami is a credit to his country and having him and his wife Carrie on board with us is a breath of fresh air. Having a man on board is also an advantage because a lot of women are reluctant to have their breasts checked but having their partner by their side might encourage them to come forward."

Join Sami on Thursday for a 'Hawaiian Theme' beach party, barbeque and dancing at the Bahrain Yacht Club. Tickets are priced at BD10 and a limited number will be available on the evening. For more information call 17700677.