Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan

Every season begins with a story. For Nikola Ignjatovic, it’s a leap into the unknown. For Raiyaan Noor, it’s stepping out of his fathe Noor Ali's shadows. Together, they represent Geylang International’s next chapter. In this heart-on-sleeve episode, the Eagles duo reflect on expectations, pressure, family ties and more. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See...

From injury comebacks to national team heartbreaks, Singaporean midfielders Jacob Mahler and Joel Chew have lived the highs and lows of football. Now reunited at BG Tampines Rovers - the duo sit down with Sports Minutes to talk about their friendship, football ambition, and what it means to be part of Singapore’s next generation. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omny...

The Lion City Sailors aren’t just building a team - they’re sending a message. With the blockbuster signing of Brazilian striker Anderson Lopes hot on the heels of Tsiy Ndenge, Ivan Sušak, and Safuwan Baharudin, Singapore’s ONLY privatized football club is making it clear: they’re not here to play catch-up - they’re here to compete with Asia’s elite. Big...

With the Festival of Football about to explode in Singapore, Sports Minutes brings you two voices from Arsenal - new signing Christian Nørgaard and Riccardo Calafiori. From settling in to sailing out to Singapore, title ambitions and to pre-season expectations, the Gunners duo pull no punches. Will you be cheering them on at the Singapore Sports Hub on 23 & 27 July 2025?  GET YOUR...

Sweeping changes are coming to the Singapore Premier League - from a spike in foreign player quotas to the launch of a new reserve league. As Forrest Li begins his FAS presidency, we ask: are these reforms a bold leap forward or a risky gamble for local football?  READ MORE:  FAS introduces enhancements to SPL, with increase in prize money and foreign player quotaFAS introduces enhanceme...

Six years since retiring as Singapore’s most decorated para swimmer, Theresa Goh is back competing - only this time with a pistol. Why, and why now you ask? Tune in as she tell us all about her remarkable comeback, and the support that’s fuelling her second act. With one eye on the 2026 ASEAN Para Games and the Paralympics beyond, Theresa reflects on rediscovering purpose, rebuilding r...

Football is a game of fine margins - and on today's show we dive deep into the tactical side of BG Tampines Rovers’ rebuild. Analyst Nigel Goh makes his Sports Minutes' debut alongside Deepan to decode the club’s transfer strategy, tactics and the technical skill sets of their new foreign signings. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystudio.com/listener for pr...

Should Singapore lean into heritage players? Kai Whitmore certainly thinks so. Eligible through his late grandfather, the Welsh midfielder is ready to give up his British passport to play for the Lions – but not everyone agrees with naturalisation. And on this episode, Kai speaks candidly about identity, sacrifice, and ambition. READ MORE: Welsh midfielder Kai Whitmore wants to play for Sing...

Tsutomo Ogura’s sudden exit throws the Lions into yet another identity crisis -with the crucial Asian Cup qualifiers looming. Gavin Lee steps into the void to take interim charge, but all eyes now turn to Forrest Li’s FAS. In their first major footballing decision, will they get it right? Deepanraj Ganesan, who exclusively broke the story for The Straits Times, sits down with Sports Mi...

Mike Phelan knows what greatness looks like - having worked alongside Sir Alex Ferguson, first as a player then part of his coaching team. As Fergie’s trusted right-hand man, he helped shape one of football’s most dominant dynasties. From the hairdryers to the heartbreaks, Mike Phelan sits down with Sports Minutes to take us inside life alongside Sir Alex, the Ole comeback, and the clu...

A club in transition. A chairman steps aside. And now, a head coach departs. After 8 years at the helm, Desmond Ong bid farewell as Chairman of BG Tampines Rovers on 1st June - and soon after, it’s been confirmed that head coach Gavin Lee will also be departing the club. What triggered this sweeping reset? Is this the end of an era, or the beginning of something new? Sports Minutes sits down...

Thiruben Thana Rajan recently shattered a 38-year-old national record in the 800m at the Asian Athletics Championships - and that's just the start. From injury comebacks to podium dreams, he sits down with Sports Minutes to share how he balances a full-time job with full-speed ambition. This is more than just a win on track - it’s a story of persistence, planning, and passion. Got a story to...

On this Father’s Day special of Sports Minutes, Singapore captain Rosnani Azman shares how her late father’s unwavering support shaped her dreams - and how his absence continues to shape her fight - on and off the pitch. This is a tribute to fathers, a reminder to hold them close, and a look at how sport can carry love beyond loss. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg...

Singapore’s Asian Cup qualifying campaign took flight as the Lions beat Bangladesh 2-1, courtesy of goals from Song Ui Yong and Ikhsan Fandi. Sports Minutes recaps it all with exclusive interviews from Hariss Harun, Hami Syahin & Ikhsan Fandi plus analysis from Deepanraj Ganesan. READ MORE: Lions survive late onslaught to claim first win of Asian Cup third-round qualifiers Got a story to...

Buoyed by a big win against Maldives, next up for Singapore is Bangladesh in the Asian Cup Qualifiers. And ahead of the duel in Dhaka, Sports Minutes heads into the Lions den to check in with Song Ui-Young. From returning after a year's absence due to personal reasons, to a budding midfield partnership with Kyoga Nakamura - it’s all building up to a pivotal 90 minutes that could define Singa...

Singapore ended a six-game winless streak with a morale-boosting 3-1 win over the Maldives - just in time for their Asian Cup qualifier in Bangladesh on June 10. Ikhsan Fandi marked his return to the side with a brace, while man-of-the-match Safuwan Baharudin made headlines of his own, revealing his club future  exclusively to Sports Minutes. Tune in as we hear  from both players and a l...

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for Ikhsan and Ilhan Fandi - but in this candid conversation with Sports Minutes, the brothers speak openly about battling injuries, dealing with setbacks, and rediscovering confidence. And as they return to the Singapore setup, they reflect on their journeys abroad, how they've grown, and the fire that still burns strong. More than just football, this is...

Records smashed, trophies lifted, stars departing! We dive into the drama and glory of Singapore Premier League Awards Night, as the best in class of the 2024/25 campaign were celebrated. Were the winners deserving? And have we seen the last of some of domestic football's finest stars? Deepanraj Ganesan weighs in on all of this and more! READ MORE: Tomoyuki Doi named Player of the Year at Singapor...

Peter de Roo isn’t just walking away from Balestier Khalsa, he’s sounding the alarm on a sport he believes is stuck in survival mode. Speaking to Sports Minutes, the outgoing coach opens up about his frustrations with the system, the lack of ambition upstream, and why Singapore football seems allergic to bold ideas.  READ MORE: Balestier Khalsa’s departing coach Peter de Roo...

2-time Premier League winner Joe Hart sits down with Sports Minutes to discuss his ‘fraught’ relationship with Pep Guardiola, working and winning under Ange Postecoglu at Celtic and his admiration for the league winners Liverpool. Plus, despite earning 75 caps for the Three Lions and 43 clean sheets to show for, does he feel he gets the recognition he deserves? Tune in to find out! REA...

It was a night to remember at the Bishan Stadium but alas, it was one that stung. The Lion City Sailors battled to the brink of AFC Champions League Two glory, but Sharjah FC’s winner in stoppage time ultimately crushed their dreams. Sports Minutes dissects it all in the company of three players who lived every second of that emotional final - Hariss Harun, Toni Datkovic & Hami Syahin, a...

With the ACL Two final looming large, Sports Minutes returns for a blockbuster episode featuring Lion City Sailors captain Hariss Harun and goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud. Fresh off clinching the Singapore Premier League title the Sailors now stand on the brink of history - with a sold-out Bishan Stadium and opponents Sharjah awaiting in Sunday's showdown, and the tantalising possibility of a treble with...

Is Singapore football's BIGGEST reset finally here? With new FAS leadership, an evolving Unleash the Roar project, and the ever-controversial Goal 2034 - it well and truly could be. But on the road to that lofty target of playing at the FIFA World Cup, what’s working, what’s not, and what still needs fixing.? Kadir Yahaya, R. Sasikumar and Deepanraj Ganesan join forces on Sports Minute...

History has been made. The Lion City Sailors are the first Singapore football club to reach the final of a continental competition. And on this episode of  Sports Minutes , we relive the momentous night in Sydney, where the Sailors lost 1-0 but still punched their ticket to the Asian Champions League Two final with a 2-1 aggregate win. What does this means for Singapore football, and is the d...

SIX POINTS from their remaining SIX games, that’s all that stands in the way of Liverpool and the Premier League Title. But how have the Reds gone from the uncertainty of life after Jurgen Klopp to being on the cusp of coronation under Arr-neh Slot? Former Red John Arne Riise is in the Sports Minutes hot seat to tell us more. Got a story to tell? Get in touch! raushan@sph.com.sg See omnystud...