Sporting Witness

Sporting Witness goes back to 1998 and a politically-charged showdown between the USA and Iran, in the second part of a World Cup series. Despite fears of a diplomatic incident, the match went smoothly, ending with an Iranian victory and warm handshakes between the rival players. Freddy Chick talks to Iranian-born Fifa official, Mehrdad Masoudi, the man in charge of ensuring a football match did n...

At the 1974 World Cup, the East and West German football teams clashed on German soil in Hamburg. The East Germans had crossed the Berlin Wall for the tournament and - in a moment never to be forgotten - defeated the great West German team of Franz Beckenbauer 1-0. Tim Mansel talks to former East German defender, Gerd Kische, and Klaus-Peter Beese, one of the East German fans allowed by the Stasi...

This year's Giro D’Italia cycling race is paying tribute to the great Italian rider, Gino Bartali, during its opening stages in Israel. Bartali was one of the most successful cyclists of the 1930s and 1940s, but it’s now also known that he helped save the lives of hundreds of Jews when the Nazis occupied Italy during World War Two. Alice Gioia talks to Gino Bartali’s granddaughter, Gioia Bartali,...

Tennis champion Monica Seles was stabbed during a match in Germany on April 30th 1993. She was world number one but the attack set her career back for some time. Jens-Peter Hetch of the German Tennis Federation was there and he has been sharing his memories of the day with Ashley Byrne. Photo: Monica Seles after being stabbed on court at the Hamburg Open Tennis Championships, Germany. Credit: Sipa...

In April 1968, the great Scottish racing driver, Jim Clark, was killed in a crash on the Hockenheim circuit in Germany. Regarded as one of the finest drivers of all time, Clark won two Formula One world championships and the Indianapolis 500 while helping to run the family farm in the Scottish Borders. Simon Watts talks to his friend, the motoring historian, Graham Gauld. PHOTO: Jim Clark (Getty I...

In 2002, the Commonwealth Games became the first – and only - major international athletics championship to combine able-bodied and parasport competitions in a single, integrated event. The great Canadian wheelchair racer, Chantal Petitclerc, won the first gold medal under the new system. She talks to Simon Watts about what she regards as a breakthrough for the equality of parasport. PHOTO: Chanta...

In April 1986, the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus made history by becoming the oldest player ever to win the Masters. Aged 46, the "Golden Bear" took the lead with just one hole to go. Ashley Byrne talks to Tsuneyuki Nakajima, a Japanese golfer who was in contention throughout one of the most exciting tournaments ever played at Augusta. PHOTO: Jack Nicklaus in his prime in the 1970s (BBC)

In 1974, the Tanzanian Filbert Bayi won one of the greatest 1500-metre races of all time at the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand. Bayi led from the front and held off a strong field to win gold and set a world record. Bayi is a legendary figure in Tanzania, where he now runs an AIDS charity. He talks to Ashley Byrne. PHOTO: Filbert Bayi on his way to victory (Getty Images)

The Iranian Mansour Bahrami is one of the most popular players in tennis thanks to his trick shots and showmanship - but his life story is equally remarkable. Simon Watts shares some of the highlights from a 2014 interview with the BBC. PHOTO: Mansour Bahrami (Getty Images).

In 1964, the Japanese women's volleyball team became national heroes after winning gold at their home Olympics in Tokyo. Nicknamed the Witches of the Orient, the players were put through a punishing training regime by a former platoon commander in the Japanese imperial army in order to beat the Soviet Union. Their triumph came to symbolise the re-emergence of Japan after World War II. Emily Willia...

In 1958 Canadian Willie O'Ree broke the colour barrier in the National Hockey League. Willie O'Ree was picked to play for the Boston Bruins in the NHL despite suffering a devastating eye injury earlier in his career. The NHL was then made up of just six professional teams based in Canada and the United States. O'Ree had to face horrific racial abuse from both fans and some players when he took to...

In March 1996, Sri Lanka pulled off an unexpected victory in the Cricket World Cup, demolishing a strong Australian team in the final. The win sparked wild celebrations in Sri Lanka, which had never won a tournament before and was still wracked by civil war. Emily Williams talks to the coach of the Sri Lankan team, Dav Whatmore. The programme is a Whistledown Production. PHOTO: Arjuna Ranatunga an...

At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Canadian figure-skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier were victims of one of the biggest scandals in the history of the games. The pair put in a flawless performance in their final routine, but were only awarded a silver medal because one of the judges felt under pressure to vote for their Russian rivals. The decision sparked outrage but, after a...

At the 1976 Winter Olympics, legendary Austrian skier Franz Klammer took gold in front of a passionate home crowd in one of the greatest downhill races of all time. In 2014, he spoke to Simon Watts. PICTURE: Franz Klammer celebrating with the Austrian crowd in Innsbruck (Getty Images)

Just hours before the Vancouver Olympics opened in 2010, a young luge athlete from Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was killed when he crashed in training. Many critics said the sliding track was too fast and too difficult. Modifications to the track were made to make it safer and the competition went ahead, but the episode cast a shadow over the games and shocked the luging community. Rebecca Kesby...

In 1991, amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang and Seoul agreed to field a united Korean table tennis team at the world championships in Japan. Previously bitter rivals, players from the North and South spent more than a month training together and eventually bonding. Their experience inspired a hit film in South Korea, where ping pong is a very popular sport. Sporting Witnes...

In 1988, the British mountaineer, Stephen Venables, was forced to spend the night by himself in the so-called "Death Zone" near the top of Mount Everest. In one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of climbing, Venables managed to survive despite not having a tent or supplementary oxygen. He talks to Lucy Burns. PHOTO: Stephen Venables (Getty Images)

As George Weah takes office as President of Liberia, we look back at his footballing career through the memories of Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger. Wenger discovered the African striker when he was manager of the French side Monaco and became a father figure to the young Weah. Arsene Wenger talks to Tayo Popoola. PHOTO: George Weah in action in the 1990s (Getty Images)

In January 1995, the French forward Eric Cantona shocked football by attacking an opposition fan during a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. Cantona faced a court case and was banned for nine months. Simon Watts tells the story of his Kung-Fu kick through BBC interviews with people who were there. PHOTO: The Cantona Kung-Fu kick (AFP/Getty Images)

In 1994, the Irish jockey, Declan Murphy, was reported as dead in the racing press after sustaining severe brain damage in a fall at Haydock Park. Murphy later woke from his coma, although he had lost all memory of the previous four years of his life and his personality had changed. The Irish jockey learnt to walk and then ride again, making an emotional return to the sport 18 months later. Declan...

In January 1967 the record-breaking British driver, Donald Campbell, was killed at the helm of his jet-boat Bluebird as he tried to beat his own water speed record. His only daughter, Gina, remembers her legendary father. This programme was first broadcast in 2013. Photo: Campbell's boat "Bluebird" on a training run (Getty Images)

In 1998 the annual yacht race descended into disaster as hurricane force storms capsized boats and threw sailors into the ocean. Six people were killed but fifty were winched to safety in daring sea rescue operations that risked the lives of the emergency crews. Rebecca Kesby has been speaking to Peter Davidson, one of the first paramedics to arrive on the scene, who saved the lives of eight stran...

In 1987, the Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi, decided to sponsor a struggling German ice hockey team called ECD Iserlohn. Gaddafi paid a million dollars for the team to wear an image of his infamous “Green Book” on their uniforms, but the sponsorship deal outraged fans and became a media scandal. David Prest speaks to former Iserlohm player, Early Spry, and the writer, Gabriel Luis Manga. The pro...

In December 1995, the journeyman Belgian midfielder, Jean-Marc Bosman won a European court ruling that transformed his sport. The European Court of Justice declared that players had the right to negotiate transfers when their contracts expired, and ended limits on the number of European footballers per club. The ruling created the modern transfer market and fuelled the power of players – but ruine...

In 2008, former refugee Lopez Lomong carried the flag for the USA at the Beijing Olympics, before competing in the 1500 metres. As a child, Lomong fled from a prison for child soldiers in South Sudan, eventually reaching a refugee camp in Kenya where he was one of the thousands of so-called “Lost Boys”. Lomong was later adopted by an American family, who encouraged his dream to reach the Olympic G...