Did Singapore let its golden boy down in any way? Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month.  In this episode of Hard Tackle, we delve into the lessons from the recent retirement of Singaporean swimming sensation Joseph Schooling on April 2, 2024, at just 28 years of age. Join ST Sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan and assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath as they host two guests - Singapore Aquatics president and former national...

Hear the tough questions posed to our sports stars or authorities in our studio, and how they react. Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month.  The Straits Times' sports podcast has been around for the past few years, in different formats - from Game Of Two Halves, to Sports Talk, and now...the Hard Tackle. We've found that this format has worked the best for us, and the harder the tackle, the more our listeners come back for...

Eight years after his stunning success at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Singapore’s greatest athlete has called time on his career. Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month.  In this special episode, we bring you an excerpt of assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath’s interview with Singapore’s Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling.  The swimmer who won the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics called time on his career on April...

Can the Lions roar under Ogura? Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. In this episode of Hard Tackle, Deepanraj Ganesan is joined by former Singapore international Noor Ali and Singapore Premier League commentator and Lions fan Zia-ul Raushan to dissect the Singapore national football team’s first two matches under new coach Tsutomu Ogura. The Lions played out a hard-fought 2-2 draw against China on March 21 in front of the...

History-making sisters making waves with Olympic relay qualification Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. On Feb 18, Quah Ting Wen, Quah Jing Wen, Letitia Sim and Levenia Sim clocked 4 minutes and 2.88 seconds at the World Aquatics Championships to not just set a new women's 4x100m medley relay national record, they also booked their ticket to Paris 2024. In this episode of Sports Talk, David Lee is joined by the two sets of...

So why do the Lions have yet another Japanese coach? Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. In this episode of Hard Tackle, Deepanraj Ganesan is joined by Football Association of Singapore president, Bernard Tan and the newly appointed head coach of the Singapore national football team, Tsutomu Ogura. For the first time since Ogura’s appointment on Feb 1, Tan describes the...

Love is in the air for these wushu athletes. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. In this episode of Sports Talk, Deepanraj Ganesan gets into the Valentine’s Day mood and spoke to a sporting couple in wushu exponents Jowen Lim and Vera Tan.  The pair started dating in 2015 and have since gotten engaged. Lim and Tan who had a good year on the sporting front with medals at the World Championship also have plans to get married...

Xabi Alonso is now head coach for Bayer Leverkusen in the German Bundesliga. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. This is a special episode featuring a former Liverpool legend John Arne Riise.  In this episode of Sports Talk, ST's Deepanraj Ganesan speaks to former Liverpool and Norway defender John Arne Riise who says that his ex-teammate Xabi Alonso should be the man to step into Jurgen Klopp’s big shoes when the German...

Top Singapore sports administrators take the hot seat in our studio. Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. In this episode of Hard Tackle, Deepanraj Ganesan speaks to Sport Singapore CEO Alan Goh and Singapore Sport Institute chief Dr Su Chun Wei and quizzes them on what is ahead for Singapore sports in 2024 and gets them to address some hot issues in local...

Standing tall with badminton world No. 1 Viktor Axelsen Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. One Olympic gold, two senior world titles, one Thomas Cup triumph, 27 Badminton World Federation World Tour and Superseries titles, and more than 100 consecutive weeks as world No. 1, there's no men's singles player as dominant as Viktor Axelsen now. In this episode of Sports Talk, David Lee chats with the great Dane to understand...

We look at the nation's prospects in sailing, athletics and football. Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. As the curtain comes down on an incredible year for Singapore sports in 2023, The Straits Times sports desk is already excited for what’s to come in the year ahead. In this episode of Hard Tackle, Deepanraj Ganesan and his colleagues on the sports desk - Kimberley Kwek,...

We speak to national sailor Maximilian Maeder about his year of wins. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month.  National sailor Maximilian Maeder has enjoyed a bountiful 2023 where the accolades have kept coming for the kitefoiling star.  The 17-year-old became the first Singaporean nominated for the prestigious World Sailing’s Male Sailor of the Year after several milestone victories in 2023. He first won the Formula Kite Youth...

We discuss if Singapore is capable of hosting a major sporting event. Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle.   A Fifa World Cup or perhaps a Commonwealth Games being hosted in Singapore in the future, have been discussion points in the last month.   In early October, it was reported that Indonesia were in discussions with Australia about a possible joint bid to host the 2034...

He also shares simple lifelong advice for parents and children on how to nurture striker skills at an early age. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. Not many know their way to goal like Jurgen Klinsmann does. The German football legend has scored goals aplenty on the world's biggest stages and mesmerised fans of Tottenham Hotspur, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich and others. The former USA and German national team head coach is...

A rejuvenated Singapore netball team aims to be best in Asia. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. A new era of Singapore netball arrived on Oct 28 when the Republic ended a 16-year wait to claim its third netball Nations Cup title. The breakthrough win was delivered by a young side filled with potential, with four players in the starting line-up aged 24 and under, signalling a changing of the guard.  Singapore netball head...

In an emotional interview, MMA star Angela Lee champions mental health. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every secondWednesday of the month. The following podcast contains conversations on self harm and suicide. Audience discretion is advised. In a recent article, MMA fighter Angela Lee recently opened up about her struggles with mental health, her attempt to take her own life in 2017 and that her sister Victoria died by suicide last December.  In an...

We analyse Team Singapore's performance at the recent Hangzhou Asian Games. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every secondWednesday of the month. After 15 days of competition, Team Singapore came away from the Hangzhou Asian Games with three golds, six silvers and seven bronzes. From Shanti Pereira’s history-making 200m win to the dominant triumphs in sailing, there were several individual performances to marvel at.  However, the Republic’s largest-ever...

Each follow on the audio apps below and a rating really helps us! Happy listening! Synopsis: A brand new feature is within The Straits Times app, which you can download from the Apple app store or the Google Play store. For those of you who already have it, the latest version update now has a dedicated Podcast Section, where you can listen to our latest incoming show episodes and check out back episodes too. You can also choose to follow our podcast RSS feeds, or the shows on Apple...

Hear why he decided to step up, and what the scene needs to do to measure up to others in the region. Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. A 4-1 loss to Malaysia at the national level, a 7-0 thumping at the hands of their Malaysian counterparts at the SEA Games. These are just two of the bad results involving Singapore’s football teams in recent times. A new man will attempt...

Local race driver Yuey Tan previews the race and reveals what it takes to be in motorsport. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every secondWednesday of the month. It’s that time of the year where the sound of engines roaring, the sight of race cars zooming past the Marina Bay Circuit and the smell of burnt tyres are in full flow as the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix takes place from Sept 15 to 17.  Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has dominated the current season and...

Should fans welcome it or be concerned? And why? Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. A new dawn for football in the Gulf kingdom kicked off in August 2023, as the league took its first bold steps towards becoming a force to be reckoned with in world football. Football is currently in the limelight with the Saudi Pro League having invested over €600 million (S$886.7 million)...

How high-level women's MMA and the respect for women in sport is growing globally. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every secondWednesday of the month. Regarded by many as the greatest female strawweight mixed martial arts athlete of all time, Joanna Jedrzejczyk has given fans a number of memorable moments inside the octagon.  The former long-time UFC Women’s Strawweight division champion is one of the most popular and successful fighters in the history of...

Hear why the European eco-system is more relatable to Singaporeans than the local scene. Synopsis: Every fourth Wednesday of the month, The Straits Times dives into a sports topic and tackles the hard questions with its guests on Hard Tackle. The Festival of Football is in town as Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City, Liverpool and Bayern Munich play pre-season friendlies at Singapore’s National Stadium.  Football is unofficially the national sport of Singapore and as thousands of fans pour...

Victoria School's floorball team shares how to help student-athletes achieve on and off the court. Synopsis: The Straits Times looks at the talking points in sport every secondWednesday of the month. It is not quite the Olympics or the Fifa World Cup but the National School Games (NSG) in Singapore captures the imagination and frenzy all the same. Whatever the sport, whether it is football, rugby, basketball or floorball, student athletes work hard on their craft while teachers and coaches...