Air Arabia pilot and sailing champion Sami Al Kooheji has completed his campaign to qualify and prepare for the 2010 Asian Games to be held in the city of Guangzhou in China from November 12.
The campaign dubbed the 2010 Air Arabia Sailing Adventure was launched earlier this year in February.
As further testimony to its commitment to developing sports in the region, Air Arabia in association with BMI Bank (the Bahrain based associate of Bank Muscat) and Audi Bahrain supported the sailor enabling him to complete in 15 international sailing championships.
Some of the achievements along the campaign included Al Kooheji regaining the top ranking in the GCC, finishing in the Gold Fleet of the UK National Championships, competing in the 2010 Laser World Championships and most recently winning a gold medal for Bahrain in the 1st GCC Beach Games.
“I’m extremely happy with how this campaign has gone. I thank Air Arabia and my sponsors for all their support this year. I’ve been able to focus and train hard towards the Asian Games,” said Al Kooheji.
Apart from Al Kooheji’s sailing achievements which include competing in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and winning gold for Bahrain in the 2004 Pan Arab Games, he also became the official goodwill ambassador for Bahrain’s breast cancer awareness charity Think Pink. He has used the campaign to raise funds and promote breast cancer awareness.
Air Arabia’s initial involvement in the sport of sailing began in 2007, when they sponsored Al Kooheji, who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games to take part in the ‘2007 Air Arabia World Endurance Challenge’, an unprecedented 550-kilometre non stop solo voyage in a small Laser sail boat from Bahrain to Dubai, where he achieved a new world record.
In 2009, the airline then went on to sponsor Bahrain's National Sailing team for two international regattas in Mumbai. The team was named ‘Bahrain Team Air Arabia’ was ranked fifth overall in the championships.
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