Basketball stars turn pink for social cause at Breastanbul 2014

ISTANBUL (FIBA World Championship for Women) - Leading basketball stars past and present rose in arms on Thursday - the second and last rest day at the 2014 FIBA World Championship for Women - to support the cause of breast cancer awareness at Breastanbul 2014, an international conference on creating awareness about the disease.

WNBA icon Edna Campbell led the array of basketball personalities that included the Spanish pair of Amaya Valdemoro and Elisa Aguilar, Portugal's Ticha Pinichiero and the Branzova sisters Albena and Gergana from Bulgaria, along with Turkish players Mihriban Oguz, Roksan Kunter, Ayse Nur Alkaya, Sukran Albayrak and Bahar Akgun took part in a shoot-out in support of the cause.

Breastanbul 2014 is a part of the Breast Cancer Awareness Month that is being observed in Istanbul in association with Europa Donna Breast Diseases Coalition Association, SENATURK, Acibadem University and the Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF).

More than 600 experts from 50 countries discussed over 30 sessions on the diagnosis, treatment and, most importantly, prevention of breast cancer.

Thursday 2 October was celebrated as the Pink Street Day when various cultural and basketball activities were organised to raise public awareness about breast cancer.

Campbell, a member of the USA team that won the 1998 FIBA World Championship for Women title in Berlin, Germany, was diagnosed with breast cancer during her second WNBA season but continued to play after receiving treatment. The 1.73m guard went on to play for six more years with various WNBA teams and became a symbol to survivors of the disease.

"This event is extremely important in sharing the perspective that coming from background of a professional athlete where most of us are otherwise healthy we feel we are immune to this disease. That's not the case. I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the height of my basketball career and by most people's standards I was healthy," said Campbell who made a presentation entitled "Bouncing Back."

"I think it's important for us (sportspersons) to get involved. It helps people realise that they are not alone. There are other people who have gone through it, fought through it and come out strong and healthy.

"It's also important for sports bodies to look at the social and health side, because ultimately all of us are working for a strong and healthy body," added the recipient of the WNBA's Kim Perrot Sportmanship Award in 2003.

"It's an opportunity for us to return what society has given us," said Valdemoro.

"Society at large has given us their support by just watching us play. They have been fans. That itsels is good enough reason for us to be present for an event like this."

Gergana Branzova went a step further in saying that "there's more to sport than just being competitive and winning games. We have a social responsibility to spread awareness about issues that are important. And we are really not doing anything great apart from being physically present. I think that's the least we can do in such a noble cause."

Her sister Albena added: "There's a point in life we all feel 'Hey I wish somebody had told me this'. I don't mean that it's about breast cancer alone. It could be anything. All that I'm hoping for is that we are able to bridge that gap. It's as simple as that."

FIBA