Hard Tackle The Straits Times

Singaporeans who have been to Olympics tell us why it is so important.
Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. 
Whether you are an athlete or a sports enthusiast, it is clear that the Olympics hold a special place in hearts worldwide. 
From historic achievements to record breaking feats, the Olympics serve up some unforgettable moments every four years. As Paris 2024 approaches, we enlisted the help of people who have been to the Olympics to tell us why the event captures the imagination the way it does. 
In this special episode centred around the Olympics, sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan is joined by assistant sports editor Rohit Brijnath, former national sprinter C. Kunalan, former national shooter Lee Wung Yew, and current national swimmer Quah Ting Wen as they discuss the significance of the Games.
(This episode was recorded before it was confirmed on July 8 that Ting Wen will not compete in the Paris Olympics) 
Highlights (click/tap above):
1:15 What did the Olympics mean growing up?  
11:25 C. Kunalan’s memory of his first Olympics representing Singapore  
17:33 Ting Wen on her realisation of being at her first Olympics 
19:40 Why the Olympics is so inspiring for athletes 
23:20 How do athletes wear the pressure of the Games given it comes around only every four years? Why parents should be a safe space for their children who pursue sports
29:30 On the mismatch of expectations of Singaporeans when it comes to the Olympics  
37:26 Guests’ favourite Olympics moment
Read: https://str.sg/5Wn3
Listen to other Hard Tackle episodes:
Ep 17: Raising an Olympian in Singapore - https://str.sg/fUPc
Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg), Amirul Karim, Hadyu Rahim and Hana Chen
Filmed by: Marc de Souza, Haziq Baharudin, Vikneshwaran Rao, ST Video
Edited by: Amirul Karim 
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa
Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra
Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#hardtackle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What does it take for parents to nurture an athlete who wants to reach sport’s pinnacle?
Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. 
The Olympics is just around the corner and come July, several Team Singapore athletes will fly the flag for the Republic in Paris. Two of them, kitefoiler Maximilian Maeder and Singapore kayaker Stephenie Chen will make their Olympics debut. 
Beyond their individual hustle to get to sports’ grandest stage, Maeder's and Chen’s journey to the Olympics has been helped by their families' relentless support.
In this episode, Maximilian’s parents Valentin Maeder and Hwee Keng and Michael Chen and Sarah-Yvonne, parents of Stephenie, join sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan to talk about how they have supported their children’s aspirations. 
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:00 Did Maximilian Maeder's and Stephenie Chen’s parents have sporting backgrounds that influenced their kids?  
13:10 Is there a point in which parents build a roadmap to sporting success?  
17:40 Why is there a need to trust the experts and coaches as opposed to intervening? 
21:12 Making sacrifices for your children when they pursue sports 
26:28 Why parents should be a safe space for their children who pursue sports 
35:00 Reacting to naysayers who say there is no future in sports
Read: https://str.sg/DMK2
Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg), Eden Soh and Amirul Karim 
Edited by: Amirul Karim 
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa
Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra
Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#hardtackle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join in this passionate post mortem of the recently concluded 2023/24 English Premier League season.
Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. 
As the dust settles on another thrilling English Premier League (EPL) season, the post-campaign analysis has begun at the Hard Tackle.
ST Sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan and guest co-host Zia-ul Raushan - assistant program director for Money FM 89.3 - invited nine die-hard EPL fans and renowned sports presenter John Dykes to dissect the highs and lows of their favourite teams, reflect on the past season's triumphs and tribulations and eagerly anticipate what lies ahead.
Is there a world after Jurgen Klopp for Liverpool, and can we talk about Manchester City’s title win without mentioning their alleged breaches?
Will Arsenal return for another tilt at the title next season? We discuss all that and more on this special end-of-season podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
5:30 Has Manchester City’s title celebrations been overshadowed by Premier League’s 115 breaches of regulations?
12:44 After finishing second again, can Arsenal continue to challenge for the title next season?
15:04 Do fans agree with Phil Foden being crowned player of the season?
20:55 How are Liverpool fans feeling after the emotional final day farewell to Jurgen Klopp?
32:45 On Aston Villa balancing Europe and Premier League next season 
45:57 Will Newcastle be able to hold on to their key assets?
55:17 Erik ten Hag: In or out?
Guests/fans:
Arsenal fan - Eddy HironoLiverpool fan - Imran FarizLiverpool fan - Rishi BudhraniMan City fan - Haizam ShahMan Utd fan - Fauzie LailyNewcastle fan - Terence OngSpurs fan - Nitin NambiarAston Villa fan - Jod GillChelsea fan - Kalvinder GillSports presenter - John Dykes
Watch the full video podcast here: https://str.sg/cbY4
Read: https://str.sg/7aUq
Hosted & produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg), Zia-ul Raushan (raushan@sph.com.sg)
Filmed in: Studio+65
Edited by: Amirul Karim & Studio+65
Executive producer: Ernest Luis
Follow Zia-ul Raushan at Sports Minutes Podcast, Money FM 89.3: https://str.sg/umMD
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa
Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra
Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#hardtackle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Diving into women’s football in Singapore
Synopsis: The Straits Times tackles the talking points in sport every second Wednesday of the month. 
In this episode of Hard Tackle, we look at the state of women’s football in Singapore and what the Republic needs to do to improve its standards. 
In the Lionesses’ most recent international friendlies, they suffered 3-0 and 8-0 defeats by Bangladesh. Meanwhile, the Deloitte Women’s Premier League (WPL) kicked off on March 9 but lacklustre field conditions at the Choa Chua Kang stadium caused much frustration and anger to players, coaches and fans.
Join ST Sports reporter Deepanraj Ganesan, current women’s footballer Sara Merican, former national captain Charmaine Lim and former national footballer Chris Yip-Au who is now with Seychelles Football Federation as its head of women’s football and women’s national team coach.
They explore the current issues in women’s football and what the future holds for the ladies. 
Highlights (click/tap above):
2:45 How Yip-Au, Sara and Lim were introduced to football in the early days
9:55 Has access to information on women’s football increased in recent years?  
18:50 What is needed for countries including Singapore to progress up the rankings in women’s football? 
19:55 How do national team players balance work or school with playing football and get that aspect be improved or helped?
30:15 Discussion on the facilities in the WPL 
Read: https://str.sg/d3CE
Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg) & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa
Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra
Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
---
ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#hardtackle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 swimmer Mark Chay and two-time Olympian David Lim.
They explore the implications of Schooling's decision and discuss how Singapore can draw valuable lessons from his meteoric rise to the 100m butterfly gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics and his struggle after that historic win. 
Could the Singapore sports ecosystem have done more for Schooling?
Is there a conversation about national service and high performance athletes and crucially, who will be Singapore swimming’s next superstar after Schooling? 
We ask the hard questions, the guests respond, and now it is time for you to listen in on our debate.
Highlights (click/tap above):
3:00 Rohit Brijnath on how he felt after speaking to Schooling about his retirement 
12:10 Why retirement was the better option for Schooling rather than going for success at regional competitions?  
14:05 Could there have been better support for Schooling?
22:30 On how Singapore can do better in drawing on the knowledge, experience and ups and downs of our successful athletes 
28:40 Why we need to have a closer look at how Schooling became a success 
34:00 Will stakeholders have a conversation about NS and its impact on athletes?
Listen to our earlier episode with Joseph Schooling himself: https://str.sg/LFUG
Read: https://str.sg/JJJQF
Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg) & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa
Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Follow Deepanraj Ganesan on X: https://str.sg/wtra
Read his articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#hardtackle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 more.
Host Deepanraj Ganesan's boyhood Manchester United hero Roy Keane would be so proud to hear this.
He will engage guests from the local or foreign sports community as ST looks at the biggest talking points in sport.
Catch back episodes of Hard Tackle:
Olympic champ Joseph Schooling in his own words as he retires
The Lions’ Tsutomu Ogura era is underway
New Lions head coach Tsutomu Ogura talks his vision for SG football
Catch visual snippets of the podcast from ST's sports Instagram page: https://str.sg/vn2F
Connect with Deepan on X to give him your ideas/feedback: https://str.sg/wtra
Produced by: Deepanraj Ganesan (gdeepan@sph.com.sg) & Amirul Karim
Edited by: Amirul Karim
Follow Hard Tackle every month here and get notified for new episode drops:
Channel: https://str.sg/JWRE
Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/JWRa
Spotify: https://str.sg/JW6N
SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/
Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg
Read Deepan's articles: https://str.sg/ip4G
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u
COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE
Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7
Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN
Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf
Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m
Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE
#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad
Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX
Discover ST Podcasts: http://str.sg/stpodcasts
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2
Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn
Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB
Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX
#hardtackle
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.