Sporting Witness
By 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 of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine
Episodes (3)
Sporting Witness
Mexico’s Cachirules scandal
In 1988, a young Mexican sports journalist named Antonio Moreno exposed a national football scandal that would reverberate for decades: the Cachirules affair, where Mexico's under-20 team was found to have fielded players years over the age limit using falsifi
Sporting Witness
When Diana Ross missed a penalty at the World Cup
In 1994, the US hosted the FIFA World Cup for the first time, a bold gamble that nearly collapsed under financial strain and skepticism. Enter Alan Rothenberg, a last-minute organizer who saved the tournament by securing sponsorships, selling out tickets early
Sporting Witness
Pickles the dog finds the World Cup trophy
In 1966, just weeks before England hosted the World Cup, the original Jules Rimet Trophy was stolen from a London exhibition—despite four guards and locked doors. The theft sparked national panic, a ransom demand, and a failed decoy drop. Then, 14-month-old co
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