The Euro 2016 qualifier between Serbia and Albania in October 2014 was politically charged between the two nations. But the opening exchanges in Belgrade had passed without major incident, until a drone carrying a flag appeared in the sky above the pitch, with violent breaking out on and off the pitch. Albania’s captain Lorik Cana and football reporter Nick Ames speak to Jack Butcher about that infamous night in the Serbian capital. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World...

In 1964, the first ever African Cup of Champions took place in Ghana, as teams from around the continent competed to be crowned the best team in African club football. It was won by Cameroonian champions Oryx Douala and Justice Baidoo speaks to Oryx Douala player Maurice Epétè about his memories of the tournament. It’s a Made in Manchester production for the BBC World Service. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting...

Brian McKechnie is one of the few people in history to have represented New Zealand in both international rugby and international cricket. He has also been at centre of two of the country’s biggest major sporting controversies. He speaks to Will Yates. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports...

In 1996, Thailand watched in awe as the Iron Ladies, a men’s volleyball team made up of gay and trans athletes, triumphed over the country’s best and won the national championships. Yet despite their outstanding success, none of the team from the northern province of Lampang were selected for the national squad, as the Volleyball Association of Thailand was concerned that they would harm the country’s reputation. Penny Dale hears from one of the team, Danupol Nuangchang, about the heady...

Brazilian driver Nelson Piquet Jr recalls taking part at the launch of Formula E in Beijing, China in 2014. It was the world’s first racing championship for electric cars. The idea for the competition, going through some of the world’s most iconic cities, was written on the back of a napkin in 2011 by former FIA president Jean Todt and founder Alejandro Agag. Nelson, a former Formula One competitor, tells Daniel Raza about the anticipation leading to the first race and some of the...

Have you ever invented a game to pass the time while on vacation? Well, what if that game became a global sensation? In 1969, Enrique and Viviana Corcuera created Padel while on holiday. With federations in six continents and millions of players around the world, Padel is now the fastest growing sport on the planet. Viviana shares her experience with Hunter Charlton. It’s an Ember Audio production for BBC World Service. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting...

In 2012, The Gambia made their first appearance at the Paralympic Games. President of the Gambian National Paralympic Committee Sulayman Colley speaks to Justice Baidoo about how he succeeded in organising the team for the London games. A Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes...

In 1960, the Italian city of Rome played host to the first ever Paralympic Games. More than 400 athletes gathered to compete in the international competition – all of them were wheelchair users. Margaret Maughan was a member of the British team and won the UK's first Paralympic gold medal for archery. In 2010, she shared her memories of the games with Mike Gallagher. Margaret died in 2020, aged 91. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those...

Trischa Zorn-Hudson is the most decorated Paralympian in history. Competing across seven games, Trischa - who has been blind since birth - won a remarkable haul of 55 medals. In that time, she also saw the Paralympics go through drastic changes, as competitors campaigned to get similar privileges and rights as Olympic athletes. Trischa shares memories of her career with Matt Pintus. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by...

In 2008, the Danish 49er sailing team won one of the most dramatic sailing golds in Olympic history. Going into the final race, Denmark had a comfortable lead. But on their way to the start line, their mast snapped in stormy seas, seemingly crushing their chances of securing a medal. The only hope of salvaging their Olympic dreams rested on the selflessness of their Croatian competitors. Sailors Martin Kirketerp and Pavle Kostov tell Marta Medvešek the story of a rollercoaster medal...

Breaking makes its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, but its origins as a sport go back to 1970s New York. Michael Holman formed a group of the most talented breakdancers in the city called 'The New York City Breakers'. He remembers when the crew performed at a salute for the US Olympic team in 1984, where they wrote a proclamation backstage - proposing it should be a future event at the games, with a set of rules to go with it. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service....

The 2004 Athens Olympics in Greece were hailed as the Games coming home to its ancient and modern birthplace. But, on the eve of the opening ceremony, a breaking scandal involving two of the host nation's biggest sporting stars threatened to overshadow the celebration. Final torchbearer Nikos Kaklamanakis and Reuters journalist Karolos Grohmann talk to Jack Butcher about the remarkable return of the Olympics to Greece. This is a Whistledown production for the BBC World Service. (Photo:...

Sailor Pavlos Kontides was 22 when he competed in the 2012 Olympics. Although he had taken part in the Beijing, he was considered one of the favourites going into the London games. He became the first Cypriot athlete to win a medal for his country, by competing in the Men’s Laser class. He spoke to Matthew Kenyon about what his success meant to him and his country. (Photo: Pavlos Kontides sailing for Cyprus in the 2012 Olympics. Credit: Getty Images)

The 1994 Wimbledon Championships were dominated by one story - whether Martina Navratilova could bow out with a record-breaking tenth title. The 37-year-old looked on course to do so, making it to the final where she'd face 22-year-old Spanish player, Conchita Martinez. The scene was set but Conchita hadn't read the script. Thirty years on, she shares her memories of that day with Matt Pintus. (Photo: Conchita Martinez. Credit: Getty Images)

It's 30 years since the murder of Colombian footballer, Andres Escobar. Just days before his fatal shooting, Escobar had scored an own goal for Colombia at the 1994 World Cup. He had been blamed for his country's early exit from the tournament and many linked his death directly to his mistake on the pitch. Matt Pintus has been through the BBC World Service archive, listening to interviews with the Colombian journalist Luis Fernando Restrepo, a friend of Escobar's who saw him on the night he...

Jewish tennis star Liesl Herbst dreamt of playing at Wimbledon but after Hitler invaded Austria, she was banned from competing. After fleeing from the Nazis with her family to London, she finally played two months before World War Two began. When it resumed in 1946, Liesl returned with her daughter Dorli to play in the ladies' doubles. They remain the only mother and daughter who have competed together at Wimbledon. Felice Hardy, granddaughter of Liesl and daughter of Dorli, author of The...

In June 1976, Muhammad Ali was the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. Ali travelled to Tokyo, Japan to face his next opponent, the professional wrestler Antonio Inoki. In a first of its kind, the exhibition fight called “The War of the Worlds” was met with controversy because of the rules applied. Ringside Photographer Claude Charlier tells Sean Allsop how the fight unfolded in a packed Budokan Hall and how many now consider this fight the origin of MMA Mixed Martial Arts. (Photo:...

In 1988, the Soviet Union made it to the final of the European Championships where they faced competition favourites, the Netherlands. It proved to be the side’s last great achievement before the breakup of the union. Soviet defender Sergei Baltacha remembers coming on as a substitute to mark the world’s best player, Marco van Basten. He speaks to Tim Mansel. (Photo: Sergei Baltacha tackling Holland's Ruud Gullit. Credit: Reuters)

In August 1971, a group of footballers were catapulted from obscurity to overnight stardom in Mexico when record-breaking crowds turned out as the country hosted a forerunner of the women’s World Cup. With women’s football still in its infancy after being suppressed in many parts of the world for decades, players got a taste of the sport’s potential popularity when they appeared in front of 100,000 fans in Mexico’s biggest grounds. One of the English team, Trudy McCaffery, tells Ian Youngs...

It's 30 years since John Aldridge made headlines for all the wrong reasons during a World Cup match between Ireland and Mexico. The Irish striker lost his temper with a match official, after not being allowed to take to the field as a substitute. Ireland were losing the match 2-0 and needed a goal. Aldridge and his manager, Jack Charlton, were pictured on television broadcasts around the world shouting expletives. Both were punished after the game, but when Aldridge finally was allowed on...

Ten days at the end of Manchester United's 98/99 season would define the club as one of the greatest teams in the world. They won the English Premier League, followed by the FA Cup. It had been 31 years since they last won the European Cup, with Bayern Munich determined to end their bid for the record-breaking treble. Former United midfielder Jesper Blomqvist speaks to Uma Doraiswamy about the pressure of trying to get the treble when everybody expects you to win, and how being substituted...

It's 30 years since the death of Formula One driver, Ayrton Senna. The three time world champion died in a crash at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy. The Brazilian icon was just 34-years-old at the time. Following his death, major safety changes in Formula One were introduced. Matt Pintus has been delving into the BBC World Service archives to find first person accounts of the tragedy. You'll hear from Senna's manager, Julian Jakobi, and from one of the first people on the...

Alice Annum is Ghana's original 'Baby Jet'. She gained the nickname after winning two silver medals at the 1970 Commonwealth Games, for the 100m and 200m sprint races. Alice was also the first woman to represent Ghana at the Olympics. Throughout her career, not only did she compete as a runner, she also competed in long jump. In more recent years the name 'Baby Jet' has been taken on by former footballer, Asamoah Gyan. But Alice knows that she is the original. She tells Gill Kearsley the...

In May 1974, the Italian Bridge Federation invited a team of American women players to an invitational challenge match against their own women's team. Over eight days, the two highly successful teams would compete in the city of Venice for a new trophy dubbed 'The Venice Cup'. Originally a one-off event, the Venice Cup continues to this day as a biennial tournament and is held around the world. Andrew Edwards speaks to American Bridge life-master Bette Cohn, now in her 90s, about her...