Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan

The Singapore Premier League transfer window is heating up, and Hougang United have made one of its eye-catching moves by signing Belgian winger Ayman Kassimi. The 25-year-old joins Sports Minutes to discuss his journey from Belgium to Singapore, his humble beginnings, his time in European football alongside Ilhan Fandi, and why he believes the SPL is the perfect next chapter. Got a story to tell?...

They were born in the same year, but their football journeys have taken very different turns. Saifullah Akbar and Nazhim Harman - both part of the class of '99 at the Singapore Sports School - sit down with Sports Minutes to talk about career crossroads, family legacies and finding purpose through a project that somehow made it out of the group chat! Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph....

Out with the old and in with the new. It’s all change over at Tanjong Pagar United. Rajesh Nair, a technopreneur with a reputation for resurrecting struggling organisations, officially takes charge as a the club chairman on 1 July 2026. To go with that, there's a new leadership team, new signings and a new logo that’s divided opinion on social media. So what does the future hold? Tune...

Both have represented Singapore. Both have made sacrifices. Yet their sporting experiences couldn't be more different. Siblings Sara and Jeffery Lightfoot join us to discuss national pride, funding disparities, athlete welfare and the challenges of pursuing sporting excellence in Singapore. When some sports enjoy greater resources than others, what does "equal footing" really mean? Got a story to...

A historic win, a debut to remember, and a new coach leading the charge. The Singapore Women's National Team clearly are undergoing a renaissance of sorts - and Sports Minutes has all the details, in converstion with Danelle Tan and Yuvika Suresh. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take to turn adversity into ambition? Team Singapore’s Gemma Rose Foo joins Sports Minutes to share her remarkable story - from surviving against the odds as a premature baby diagnosed with cerebral palsy, to becoming one of our country's leading para-equestrian athletes - representing the nation on the world stage at multiple Paralympic Games. Got a story to tell? Get in touch!...

On a night when Hariss Harun hit a landmark 148th appearance for Singapore to become the most-capped player in history, we wonder if the Lions' skipper is the GREATEST ever to represent the nation? Plus, all change at Tanjong Pagar United. Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times, has the details on Sports Minutes. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/tanjong-pag...

When it comes to the Singapore National Team we often hear the Fandi brothers mentioned. But what about the Stewart brothers? Arguably less heralded, but most certainly just as important to the Lions - Ryhan & Harhys Stewart sit down with Sports Minutes to talk about club, country and much more. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy infor...

Bad signings. Bad results. Bad reputation. A dire assessment of the Young Lions. But is it a fair one considering the realities of Singapore football? Sports Minutes ventures to find out, in conversation with Young Lions head coach Firdaus Kassim. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The end of the 2025/26 Singapore Premier League season marks farewells across the league, but Geylang International will feel this one in particular - Vincent Bezecourt. Having arrived on our shores in 2021, the Frenchman went on to make more than a century of appearances in the famous green. Now, as he approaches 33, he steps away from the Eagles..and potentially the beautiful game, entirely. Wha...

The 2025/26 Singapore Premier League season drew to a dramatic close this past weekend - with BG Tampines Rovers leaving it late to seal ACL Two qualification. As ever, Sports Minutes dives beyond the standings and stats to get you up to speed with all the headlines, heroes and villains. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We know all about head coaches and club chairmen. But beyond them, who actually contributes to the running of a Singapore Premier League club? Sports Minutes checks in with four members of BG Tampines Rovers Management committee - 3 outgoing and an incumbent - to find out more. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nanyang Girls’ High School are champions...once again, and at the heart of their 4th consecutive school title are 16-year old twins - Jovia and Jovie Teo. The B Division basketball stars join Sports Minutes to look back on a title-winning campaign filled with pressure, resilience, and special moments shared together on court. They also speak candidly about balancing academics, training, and...

Drawn alongside with World Cup-bound Australia and Iraq, and Tajikistan in Group D of the 2027 Asian Cup, how will our Lions fare? Plus, the penultimate round of Singapore Premier League fixtures throw up more drama and debate. All that and more in the company of Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/list...

The Sailors rejoiced sealing back-to-back titles, but there was much heartbreak elsewhere as late goals ruled the day this past SPL weekend. And with transfer rumours swirling, could there be more heartbreak in store for some clubs? Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times, chimes in on Sports Minutes. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listen...

The Lion City Sailors have been crowned 25/26 Singapore Premier League Champions - becoming back-to-back title winners for the first time in their history. And Sports Minutes, checks in with Head Coach Jesus Casas to mark historic occasion. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The SPL title may seemingly be heading the Sailors way, but the race to finish fourth is far from over. 3 points separate Balestier Khalsa in 4th and Geylang International in 5th - with 3 games to go, two of which are against each other. So a grandstand finish on the cards, and one man who could play a pivotal role for the Tigers is Jakov Katuša. He sits down with Sports Minutes to tell us...

The finish line is in sight for the Singapore Premier League, with the Sailors moving another step closer to defend their crown. But could there yet be more twists and turns? Plus, the end of season brings coronation for players too. So who's in the running for the individuals awards? Zia-ul Raushan and Deepanraj Ganesan run the rule on Sports Minutes. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sp...

Late but great, that's the theme of Sports Minutes today as we discuss and dissect a flurry of stoppage time winners in the Singapore Premiere League weekend gone by. Plus, Kai Whitmore has been confirmed as a new signing for the Young Lions. One step closer to the National Team? Tune in as Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times weighs in! Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raus...

St Andrew’s Secondary School are the B Division rugby champions...at last. On Sports Minutes, captain Joshua Kee and out-centre Wesley Choo relive their nail-biting win over arch rivals Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) in the National School Games. A remarkable story of redemption and coronation, after years of heartbreak. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/schools/redemption-fo...

After Albirex's stunning comeback to defeat Tampines Rovers, could the past weekend in the Singapore Premier League prove to be pivotal in the title race? Plus, with Tanjong Pagar suffering yet more misery...do good players necessarily make good coaches? Plenty of questions, Sports Minutes has the answers in the company of Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times. READ MORE: https...

Finance, football and fireworks - the Lion's homecoming match in celebration of securing qualification to the 2027 Asian Cup had it all. From 3 points to seal an unbeaten group stage campaign, to 30,000 fans in attendance...Plus a landmark $50 million boost to Singapore’s football ecosystem from Forrest Li’s Sea Limited. Sports Minutes has the details! Sports Minutes with Deepanraj Gan...

After seeing his football career curtailed by injury, Shannon Stephen found himself searching for purpose. On Sports Minutes, he opens up about rediscovering that identity through Hyrox, and how the finish line has become his new final whistle. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Back scoring, back smiling and back on Sports Minutes. Ikhsan Fandi sits down to talk form, confidence, and hitting 50 goals for BG Pathum. With the Lions building momentum and a clash against Bangladesh looming, Ikhsan opens up on competition for the No.9 role, staying grounded through faith, and why this might just be his prime. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudi...

Back from a long injury layoff, Irfan Fandi returns to the Singapore national team with unfinished business. He opens up about the grind of recovery, the heartbreak of missing Lion’s historic night, and the motivation driving his comeback - with a 50-cap milestone now firmly in sight. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.