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Bahraini race ace Hamad Al Fardan is back in the pink ... and racing to glory!
Last year he stunned the community by wearing a pink thobe to help GulfWeekly launch a month of support for the Think Pink breast cancer awareness campaigners.
Today, it was announced that the popular driver who has Formula One ambitions, is to be the charity's brand ambassador for 2009/2010.
The annual Think Pink campaign will run throughout October as health organisations worldwide join together to help battle the disease which one out of every eight to 10 women will develop in their lifetime. It is also known to strike down men.
Hamad, 22, from Isa Town, who is currently leading the drivers' table in the Formula V6 Asia Series, said: "I was introduced to the people behind Think Pink through GulfWeekly when I wore the pink thobe to highlight the annual breast cancer awareness campaign.
"I wanted to help Think Pink this year also and took the initiative to contact them. I am happy to lend my image and support the cause. Men, especially in this part of the world, are shy of supporting women's causes but men are also at risk from breast cancer.
"I have female relatives who have suffered from the disease and I believe that awareness is crucial in the fight against it claiming lives unnecessarily. Early detection can mean the difference between life and death."
The 'icheck' stamp is to promote the idea of self-examination for unusual lumps and bumps on the body which can be the vital first signs that something is wrong and further medical investigation is advisable.
Think Pink Bahrain will launch its year-long 'icheck' campaign and Hamad is endorsing it by sporting a pink cap, T-shirt and the all-important 'icheck' stamp. His signed pink thobe and ghuttra presently graces Think Pink's archives of collectibles.
Apart from being the face of Think Pink's 'icheck' campaign Hamad will also promote the charity by displaying 'Hamad Al Fardan Race Against Cancer' on his race car, helmet and suit in the remaining two rounds of the Formula V6 Asia Series.
Hamad made it four wins out of four races in his last outing at Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur. Starting from pole in the 12-lap race, Driving for Dyna Ten Motorsports he finished on top with an impressive time of 24 minutes and 56.232 seconds.
Hamad is currently leading the drivers' championship and will shortly be travelling to China for the final rounds of the competition at the Shanghai International Circuit.
Hamad's website also features the icheck poster and while thousands of fans log on to his website and his Facebook group, this will add a totally new dimension to Think Pink's awareness drive.
Jules Sprakel, founder of Think Pink, said: "Hamad is raising awareness and creating a talking point about the disease by putting the logo on his gear and car. It's an amazing platform and we are very happy to have him on board.
"Hamad is an up-and-coming sports personality and is very proactive about the cause. He has a huge following of young Bahrainis which takes our message even further."
Hamad is selling merchandise on his website - pink caps and pink T-shirts - as part of his charitable endeavour. At the moment caps are priced at BD4 and are available to order. Campaign T-shirts will be launched soon.
Money raised from the sale will go to Think Pink and will be used to buy a mammography machine for Salmaniya Hospital for free screening. Hamad will also be the first to tee off at Think Pink's men's golf event in October and will be present at the gala evening at the Gulf Hotel.
Hamad suffered a setback in his racing career when he was forced to drop out of GP2 - the feeder racing series to Formula One, due to a cutback in sponsorship caused by the current financial crisis.
But the home-grown talent is hopeful that his current racing successes will help him steer once more towards the top of the sport and attract new sponsorship. "I will never give up my dream of being a Formula One race car driver," he said.
To buy Hamad's pink caps log on to www.hamadalfardan.com
