Sporting Witness

In 1984, the West Indies celebrated a 5-0 test series defeat of England on British soil - a historic cricketing victory that became known as Blackwash. But for Windies fans, it was more than just a record score-line. It was also recognition at a time when many British Caribbean communities were suffering racism, unemployment and poverty. They flooded onto the pitch to celebrate, unfurling a banner...

In 1997, Violet Palmer made history by becoming the first female referee in the NBA. During her career she faced sexism and discrimination. Violet tells Gill Kearsley about the anticipation and excitement of refereeing her first match. (Photo: Violet Palmer in 2013. Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

The Nigerian national women’s football team were the first African team to reach the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup Tournament in China in 1991. Justice Baidoo speaks to Nkiri Okosieme – who captained the hastily assembled squad – and hears how they overcame opposition to claim their tournament spot. This programme is a Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service. (Photo: Nigeria goa...

To mark the final stages of this year's Tour de Femmes, Marianne Martin talks about winning the first official women’s Tour De France in 1984. She rode the 1,080km course in 29 hours, 39 minutes, and two seconds over 18 days – a remarkable feat considering she’d had anaemia earlier in that year. The 1984 men’s champion Laurent Fignon won prizes valued at more than $225,000. Marianne Martin was awa...

Panini have been making World Cup sticker albums since 1970, but in 2011 they decided to make the first one for the women's tournament being held in Germany. Only available in the host country, they sold more than 4.5 million packets of stickers in two weeks. They had to print a million more stickers to keep up with demand. Roxanne König from Panini in Germany speaks to Uma Doraiswamy about how th...

In 1993, the Czech player Jana Novotna threw away a huge lead in the ladies' final at Wimbledon but captured the hearts of tennis fans by breaking down in tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent, the tournament's patron. Five years later, Novotna was back on Centre Court and this time she won. She tells her story to Kirsty McQuire. Jana Novotna died of ovarian cancer in 2017. The programme is...

In the summer of 1983, New Zealand tennis player Chris Lewis reached the Wimbledon men’s singles final, despite being ranked 91 in the world. Although it shocked the tournament, Lewis had been targeting it since he was 11 years old, when he watched tennis greats including Rod Laver and Tony Roche play in his home country. (Photo: Chris Lewis (left) of New Zealand and John McEnroe of the USA during...

On 6 July 2003, the first matches of the Homeless World Cup kicked off in Graz, Austria. The idea came from Mel Young and Harald Schmied. Mel talks to Kurt Brookes about the first tournament and how it continues to help change perceptions about homelessness. A Made in Manchester Production for BBC World Service. (Photo: Scotland play Poland in the Homeless World Cup played in Graz, Austria. Credit...

At the 1976 Olympics, the Japanese gymnast Shun Fujimoto horrified the world by continuing to compete in the team event despite breaking his knee during the floor exercise. Determined not to let down his team-mates, Fujimoto braved almost unbearable pain to achieve good scores on the pommel horse and rings, and help Japan to gold. Shun Fujimoto relives his agony with Ashley Byrne. The programme is...

After being ridiculed by the English fans and media following his dismal performance in the 2010-2011 Ashes series, Australian fast bowler Mitchell Johnson proved himself on home ground in 2013 by destroying England’s batting order. Taking 37 wickets and being named Player of the Series, Johnson dominated the tests which became known as Johnson's Ashes. He speaks to the BBC as part of their covera...

Can a man ever beat a horse in a foot race? Every year since 1980, a small town in Wales has been trying to find out. Laurence Bassett speaks to long distance runner Huw Lobb and race creator Gordon Green about the 2004 race when, for the first time, two legs outran four. This is a TBI Media production for the BBC World Service. (Photo: Huw Lobb winner of the Man v Horse race stands with the faste...

In 1965, South African Albert Johanneson became the first black player of any nationality to take part in the FA Cup final. Willie Bell remembers what he was like as a Leeds United teammate. This is a Made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service. (Photo: Leeds United left-winger Albert Johanneson, March 1965. Credit: Getty Images)

In May 2003, Arsenal started on an unbeaten run that would last for 49 Premier League games. The team became known as 'The Invincibles'. They were the first team to go unbeaten all season since Preston North End in 1888. Former Arsenal defender, Lauren, and British comedian, Alan Davies, speak to Matt Pintus about that team. (Photo: Arsenal celebrate winning the 2003/2004 Premier League. Credit: G...

The 2010 Asian Games in China saw women’s kabaddi included at the event for the first time. Deepika Joseph was the youngest person ever to represent her country in the sport. Kabaddi is an Indian contact sport which involves holding your breath while chanting kabaddi, kabaddi, kabaddi. Deepika speaks to Reena Stanton-Sharma about competing and triumphing in the tournament and how winning gold help...

On 16 March 2002, Sheffield United vs West Bromwich Albion, at Bramall Lane, became the only match in English football history to be abandoned due to a shortage of players. After three Sheffield players were sent off, two got injured, meaning they were down to six men. Rachel Naylor speaks to referee Eddie Wolstenholme, who was forced to call the game off. (Photo: Referee Eddie Wolstenholme, caugh...

On 15th May 1993, the first match of Japan's first professional football league kicked off at the National Stadium in Tokyo. This new "J.League" replaced the previous version, which was composed of corporate teams of amateur and semi-professional players, and was seen by the Japanese Football Asociation as a means of qualifying for and eventually hosting a World Cup. Former Yokohama Marinos manage...

In 2000, Indian weightlifter Karnam Malleswari became the first woman from her country to win an Olympic medal, lifting an astonishing 240kg across two categories. Nicknamed the Iron Lady, Malleswari quickly became a household name in India. She speaks to Dan Hardoon about her upbringing in a small Andhra Pradesh town, the taboos she broke to pursue her chosen career, her rapid rise to stardom, an...

On 5th April 1997, the 150th Grand National horse race was meant to take place at the Aintree racecourse near Liverpool. But the IRA sent 2 coded bomb threats which meant the world famous steeplechase had to be abandoned. Managing Director of the course at the time, Charles Barnett, tells Uma Doraiswamy what it was like to be the man responsible for safely evacuating 70,000 people and trying to ge...

On April 21st, 2014, wheelchair athlete Ernst van Dyk clinched a record-breaking 10th win at the Boston Marathon - a bittersweet achievement coming just a year after terrorists bombed the 2013 race. But before Ernst dominated Boston, he spent over a decade training and competing before achieving marathon and Paralympic success. Ernst has been telling Wayne Wright about how he achieved his Boston d...

It has been 30 years since Champions League winners Marseille were relegated from the French top division for bribery and match fixing. The champions were accused of offering bribes to players from fellow French side, Valenciennes. Jean-Marie Veniel was the referee who first blew the whistle on the scandal. He has been sharing his memories with Matt Pintus. (Picture: Marseille celebrate after winn...

Nathalie Amiel was a star of French rugby for more than fifteen years, from when she started playing internationally aged 15. She was part of the French team which won the Five Nations, as well as the European Championship four times. The 2002 season was her final one, she finished off her career winning the first ever women's Six Nations Championship. Nathalie has been speaking to Laura Jones. (P...

Ammo Baba was a beloved player, whose heading ability was legendary and who scored Iraq's first ever international goal. As a coach, Ammo Baba won many regional trophies for the Iraqi team and stood up to Saddam Hussein's sadistic son, Uday. In 2009, thousands of Iraqis gathered at the National Football Stadium to attend the funeral of the player and coach, Emmanuel Baba Dawud, better known as Amm...

In 2012 Irene helped lead her New Zealand team Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to victory, beating the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championships. She later went on to play for New Zealand’s national team, the Silver Ferns. Originally from South Africa, she initially faced a hostile media who didn’t accept her as a New Zealand player, but with her success she eventually became a national treasure. She...

In 1988, New Zealand referee Keith Walker facilitated a fight between South Korean boxer Byun Jung II and Bulgarian boxer Aleksandr Khristov. The Bulgarian won the match 4 -1, but when the bell rang, the ring erupted into chaos, with the referee defending himself from the punches that were being thrown his way. Soon afterwards, he decided to quit refereeing. Vicky Carter spoke to Keith Walker. (Ph...

In 1950, Argentina hosted the inaugural Basketball World Cup for ten teams from around the world. Argentina beat the USA 64–50 in the final in Buenos Aires on 3 November. Rachel Naylor speaks to Ricardo González, Argentina's captain. (Photo: Ricardo González in 2023. Credit: María Eva González)