Sporting Witness BBC World Service

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 led to United equalising when they needed it most.
(Photo: Jesper Blomqvist with the European Cup. Credit: Reuters)

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 scene of the crash, Professor Sid Watkins.
(Photo: Ayrton Senna before the San Marino Grand Prix. Credit: Getty Images)

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 story of how she got the nickname.
(Photo: Alice Annum in 2024. Credit: Sally McBratney. Photo: Alice Annum the finish line of the Women's 100-metre event of the 1970 Commonwealth Games. Credit: Daily Express/Archive Photos/Getty Images)

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 memories of the competition.
A Made In Manchester production for the BBC World Service.
(Photo: The Italian Venice Cup team. Credit: World Bridge Federation)

It's 20 years since the death of the scout responsible for finding some of the greatest players in Liverpool's history.
Geoff Twentyman joined Bill Shankly's Liverpool in 1967 as chief scout, tasked with overhauling the club's recruitment system.
Armed with his scouting diary, he unearthed lower league players who would later on go to be world beating superstars, including Kevin Keegan, Alan Hansen and Ian Rush.
His two decades as chief scout contributed to the most successful period in the club's history - as they won nine titles, six domestic cups and six European trophies.
In March 2024, a plaque celebrating Geoff along with the rest of 'the boot room boys' was unveiled outside Liverpool's Anfield stadium.
His son, Geoff Jr, has been speaking to Matt Pintus.
(Photo: Geoff Twentyman with the European Cup. Credit: The Twentyman family)

Alex Higgins was the two-times World Snooker champion from Northern Ireland whose speedy style of play helped turn the game into a must-watch sport.
But, away from the table, he was a wild boy – whose gambling, drinking and womanising eventually led to his downfall.
He died in 2010 at the age of 61.
Producer Vicky Farncombe uses archive interviews to tell the story of Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins in his own words.
(Photo: Alex Higgins. Credit: Getty Images)