Sporting Witness

In October 1972, the first ever Esports tournament was held at California's Stanford University. Now a multi-billion dollar industry, thousands of people watch tournaments all around the world, but competitive video gaming was in its infancy in the early 70s.

Called the 'Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics', it was organised by a Rolling Stone magazine journalist who was documenting the early days of computer gaming.

Bruce Baumgart was a...

On October 1 1975, the third and final fight between bitter rivals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, known as the Thrilla in Manila, took place in the sweltering heat of the Philippines’ capital. The bout went down in history as one of the most brutal and dramatic in boxing.

Carlos Padilla, the match referee, tells Jay Behrouzi what it was like to watch the two heavyweight fighters push through exhaustion, and how he managed both corne...

At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the final of the women’s high jump came down to two world record holders. One of them was already an Olympic gold medallist and one of West Germany’s most famous athletes. Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth had been a celebrity since surprising the athletics world by winning her first gold medal at the age of 16, 12 years earlier.

After suffering a decline in her career and achievements following that succes...

In 2004, the Indian long-distance swimmer Bula Choudhury became the first woman to complete the challenge of crossing straits of the world’s Seven Seas.

Choudhury is a former Indian national swimming champion in the pool, who was inspired to switch to the ocean by a traditional Bengali folk tale.

Her challenge took her to five continents. She says that one of her hardest swims was in the cold waters of the English Channel.

In 20...

In 1999, reigning WBC welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya - the “golden boy” of boxing – was facing criticism over the quality of the opponents he fought.

One match changed all that – a Las Vegas showdown with Ike Quartey, from Ghana. “My strategy was solely to make it a dogfight, to make it entertaining, to shut up the doubters all over the world,” said La Hoya.

The Mexican American champ relives the bout with Mark Wilberforce.

E...

In 1989, Chile faced Brazil in a crucial World Cup qualifying match at the iconic Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

During the game, a flare was thrown onto the pitch, appearing to seriously injure Chile's goalkeeper Roberto Rojas.

Football photographer Ricardo Alfieri was watching with 129 other photographers.

He was the only one who captured the moment the flare landed - behind Rojas.

Days later it emerged the goalkeeper had hidd...

In 1991, English players wanted the first Women's Rugby World Cup to be close to home because of travel costs. With little help from the sport's governing body, Deborah Griffin, Alice D Cooper, Sue Dorrington and Mary Forsyth organised it themselves.

Alice D Cooper tells Uma Doraiswamy about how they planned and paid for it, getting teams from across the world to sign up and come to Britain for what would eventually be recognised a...

It was during the 1966 World Cup match between England and Argentina that one of England’s leading professional referees, Ken Aston, had an idea that would revolutionise football.

Aston, who was watching the game from the stands, was concerned over apparent language barriers between players and officials. His solution was to recommend referees be given red and yellow cards, as way of cautioning and if necessary, sending off a playe...

At the London 2012 Olympics, a women’s doubles badminton match between China and South Korea caused controversy when the four players were disqualified for deliberately underperforming.

This incident, which marred the spirit of the games, saw the players serving into the net and hitting shots out of bounds in a blatant effort to manipulate the draw for the knockout stage. The sound of the shuttlecocks was drowned out by boos from t...

Australian driver Jack Brabham was a pioneer in the 1960s, winning an Formula 1 world title in1966 in a car he built himself – a remarkable feat that has never been matched.

His son, David Brabham, speaks to Jarek Zaba about Jack’s incredible journey – from racing in his native Australia - to starting an F1 revolution and becoming the first person knighted forservices to motorsport. A 2 Degrees West production.

Eye-witness accounts ...

Between 1982 and 1984, UEFA held the first European Competition for Women's Football.

Sixteen teams battled it out across Europe.

The final was between Sweden and England.

Rachel Naylor spoke to the Swedish captain Anette Börjesson in 2022.

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 ...

Christy Ring was one of Ireland’s greatest hurling players. His career spanned three decades and he achieved many accolades including eight All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship titles.

In 1956, he played in the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final. Christy Ring’s Cork were hoping to beat Wexford to not only secure the championship, but for him to also achieve a record ninth title.

Craig Boardman talks to Christy’s grand...

In July 1990, West Germany won the World Cup for the third time, beating Argentina 1-0 in Rome. The shirt the victorious players were wearing that night has become a design classic and is now one of the most sought-after by classic kit collectors.

With its distinctive black, red and gold zigzag across the chest, West Germany’s 1990 shirt was a game-changer in the world of football kits, helping to usher in a new era of bold designs...

It's been fifty years since Arthur Ashe beat defending champion and fellow American Jimmy Connors to become the first African-American man to win Wimbledon.

The final in July 1975 was called one of the most remarkable in the history of The Championships.

At 49, Ashe died from Aids-related pneumonia.

His former agent, Donald Dell, spoke to Louise Hidalgo in 2011 about what his friend might have gone on to achieve.

Eye-witness accounts ...

In 1974, East Germany beat West Germany in a World Cup match in Hamburg. Afterwards, on a flight, the West German Finance Minister, Hans Apel, found himself sitting next to one of the East German players, Hans-Jurgen Kreische.

Apel was so despondent that he told Kreische West Germany could not win the World Cup. Kreische disagreed and the pair had a bet.

They tell Mani Djazmi about that fateful moment, and the disastrous consequenc...

In 1995, post-apartheid South Africa hosted, and won, the Rugby World Cup. It was a hugely unifying moment for the country.

In 2013, Rob Bonnet heard Francois Pienaar, the captain of the victorious Springboks, explain what the triumph meant to the nation.

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 w...

In 1994, as the genocide in Rwanda against the Tutsi minority unfolded, goalkeeper Eric Murangwa Eugene’s life was in danger. Being a Tutsi, Eric had to beg for his life when five armed men showed up at his house to kill him. It was only when they recognised him as a footballer, and saw his photos as proof, that they left. Eric tells Jake Warren about spending the following months trying to evade capture and looks back at the momen...

Dutch goalkeeper Eddy Treijtel played for Rotterdam giants, Feyenoord, more than 300 times. But one of his most talked about moments happened during a game against city rivals Sparta Rotterdam, in 1970.

His goal kick, meant to pick out a striker, instead hit and killed a seagull. The dead bird was later stuffed and now resides in the club’s museum.

Eddy tells Johnny I’Anson about the moment that would go down in football folklore.

Ey...

Bayern Munich were minutes away from winning the Champions League in 1999, before two late Manchester United goals. In 2001, they had a chance at redemption.

To do this they had to beat Spanish side Valencia, who were in the final for the second year running after losing to Real Madrid in 2000.

In a match with 17 penalties, it would ultimately be Bayern who won the title in dramatic fashion.

Michael Henke was the assistant coach ...