Amazing Sport Stories

Gholamreza Takhti is a hero. In Iran, a nation full of wrestlers and wrestling fans, he’s the most beloved wrestler of them all. But unexpectedly, tragically, the great champion is found dead in a hotel room in Tehran, in the early days of 1968. Presenter Rana Rahimpour grew up with Takhti’s legend all around her; his image plasters her childhood memories. But now she wants to understand how Takhti, and wrestling, became so intertwined with Iranian history and why this man, amongst all others, became such a figurehead.#AmazingSportStories

Exploring Iranian wrestling legend Gholamreza Takhti’s journey in life, death and his legacy. The Iranian wrestler was the people's hero: a multiple gold Olympic medal-winner, who embodied the spirit of Iran. He was well loved, even by those who fought against him.Then, in January 1968, Takhti was found dead in a Tehran hotel room. He was 37.Presenter Rana Rahimpour delves into the man behind the myth and sheds a light on the complex relationship between Iran and its heroes. Sport, politics, and power wrestle with each other, as we get to the heart of what it means to be a hero and how we can hold onto them.Presenter: Rana Rahimpour Producer: Lucy Greenwell Sound design: David Crackles

Iraqi weightlifter Raed Ahmed was proud to carry his country's flag at the opening ceremony for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. But the honour came with a strict instruction: he was not to look at the American President, Bill Clinton. Iraq's Olympic Committee was led by Saddam Hussein's son, Uday, a man with a reputation for brutality.But Raed had already begun to think of escape. And that night, with a single glance, he made up his mind. This is the story of how he took the most dangerous decision of his life, and what happened next.Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

Breaking, or breakdancing, has its origins in the gang culture of 1970s New York. It evolved on the floors of huge parties, where dance replaced violence as an outlet for neighbourhood bravado. But artist and entrepreneur Michael Holman saw an opportunity to turn the nascent culture in something much larger, a scene that could have global appeal.Four decades later, breaking makes its debut as an Olympic sport, with competitors from all over the world bringing their best moves to Paris to compete for gold. This is the story of how it got there. Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

Since the 1950s, basketball's Harlem Globetrotters have entertained audiences with their showboating, dunks and pranks in exhibition games all over the world. Their perennial opponents, the Washington Generals, have endured more than 17,000 defeats at their hands, with crowds booing and mocking them as the Globetrotters bamboozle them with flashy skills, tricks and dribbles.So what's it like to play for a team whose only job is to lose? Some former Generals say it's one of the best jobs they've ever had, even if it did involve being humiliated on the court every night. That is, except for the one night that it didn't...Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

In 2016, Nick Butter was searching for a way to raise £250,000 for a prostate cancer charity. He knew he wanted to undertake some kind of running challenge, but wasn't sure what - until he discovered nobody had ever run a marathon in every country in the world. Two years later, he headed to Canada to embark on an epic journey, not realising just how challenging it would be. On his travels, he would be shot at, mugged at gunpoint and attacked by dogs, in addition to pushing his body far beyond anything he'd ever endured. But did he reach the finish line?Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

Between 1946 and 1966, the ball boys at one of the world's most prestigious tennis tournaments, Wimbledon, were selected from children's homes run by the Barnardo's charity. Two of them were Winston Norton and Sam Hill. Sam had been taken into care because his parents' home was too small to house their six children; Winston because his mother could not cope with the abuse she'd received for having a mixed-race child. At their children's home in Hertfordshire, north of London, they were put through a strict exercise regimen, hoping to be one of the 60 boys selected to work at that year's tournament. When they made the grade, they found themselves on court with the game's biggest names. It was an experience that would change their lives.Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

One year after the crash, Zambia awaits the Africa Cup of Nations final. Football writer Ponga Liwewe and superfan Melody Mwala describe the fever-pitch atmosphere of hope in the country. Fast-forward 18 years, and Zambia are preparing for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations final in Libreville, Gabon, near the 1993 crash site. Despite fading on the international scene, Zambia’s run to the final is remarkable. Facing Africa’s best team, Ivory Coast, led by stars like Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure, Zambia’s underdogs have a chance to honour the legacy of the team whose future was snatched away from them. #AmazingSportStories

The newly formed Zambian football team begins to honour the legacy of the KK11, and the players start to defy all odds. The resilience of a nation is witnessed as the new team is met with a wave of support and jubilation. We hear Zambians cheer on their team with the iconic Chipolopolo chant as the players stage an important comeback in a World Cup qualifier which ensures they climb the ranks for the Africa Cup of Nations. #AmazingSportStories

The families of Zambia’s fallen football players grieve their loved ones, as a new national team is formed. The nation mourns the squad at the Independence Stadium in Lusaka, as relatives begin their fight for justice and truth. The newly assembled line-up begins training. Danish manager Roald Poulsen will be their coach. Three players from the original team, but who were not on the flight - Kalusha Bwalya, Johnson Bwalya and Charles Musonda - are among them. They try their luck in World Cup qualifiers and then start their journey to the biggest contest on the continent, the Africa Cup of Nations. #AmazingSportStories

The stars of Zambia's national football team are killed in a deadly plane crash in 1993, and a dream is shattered. Former international player Robert Earnshaw goes back to his roots in Zambia to interview football writer Ponga Liwewe and the families of the legendary players, including relatives of Godfrey Chitalu, and David Efford Chabala. The team had been nicknamed the KK11 in honour of President Kenneth Kaunda, a proud football fan, after their famous victory against Italy at the Olympics. They had set their sights on being the first Zambian team to compete at the World Cup and they had just begun playing qualifier matches for the tournament when disaster struck. #AmazingSportStories

A nation’s dreams were shattered when Zambia's football team was killed in a plane crash. Against all odds, a new squad was assembled. This is the story of the “Copper Bullets” and what happened next – a story no one could possibly have imagined. Former international footballer Robert Earnshaw sets out to tell this amazing sport story – coming soon.

In 1971, women in Brazil were banned from taking part in organised football. Lea Campos had spent most of her life being steered away from the game, but the fascination had never left her, and she began to wonder if she could get involved by becoming a referee. However, future Fifa president Joao Havelange was determined to maintain the status quo.With this seemingly insurmountable obstacle in her path, Lea decided to appeal to one of the few men more powerful than Havelange: General Emilio Garrastazu Medici, Brazil's brutal military dictator. But would he be willing to listen?Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

Caroline Brouwer was one of very few women working in English men's football in the 1980s - and she found her home in one of its most infamous dressing rooms.The Wimbledon team of the late 1980s featured some of the game's most intimidating players: Vinnie Jones, Dennis Wise, John Fashanu. The press labelled them the 'Crazy Gang', notorious for their riotous behaviour and direct, physical tactics. Their fans loved them; the football establishment turned up their noses. But as they rose through the leagues, they became impossible to ignore.As one of Wimbledon's physiotherapists, Caroline helped the players deal with the rigours of a punishing training regime, but also lent a sympathetic ear away from the dressing room. Then in 1988, she was on the touchline as the team faced their greatest challenge: an FA Cup final against Liverpool, the newly crowned champions of England. What happened next would make history.Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

Antonio Esfandiari's heart was beating like a drum. $18 million was stacked up about 12 feet away from where he was sitting. Only one other poker player stood between him and the biggest prize in the game's history.Everyone held their breath as the dealer revealed the final card.For Esfandiari, it represented the culmination of a career which began in very different circumstances; for poker itself, the change was immeasurable. This is the story of how a card game went from smoky back rooms to the global sporting mainstream.Audio scenes have been re-created. Let us know what you think #AmazingSportStories

We have a winner – or so we think. Questions are being asked, as an earlier climb comes under scrutiny. If you don’t actually reach the summit, can you still claim the title of first woman to scale the fourteen highest peaks? The mountaineers risked their lives on the ultimate challenge – can they make peace with what has happened?

The mountaineers are climbing the final peaks, and three of them are neck-and-neck. The other two are close behind. They say it’s not a race, but their sense of competition is intense. Can they all make it?This episode was updated on 17 May 2024, to correct an error in the temperature on the summit of Nanga Parbat.

Then there were five. Two super-fast new challengers are powering up the peaks, and the pressure is on. Edurne Pasaban, Gerlinde Katlernbrunner and Nives Meroi have been climbing the world’s highest mountains at a rate of around one a year. With the arrival of the South Korean climbers Oh Eun-sun and Go Mi-young, the stakes are supercharged.

A near-death experience motivates a mountaineer to scale the world’s highest peaks. But two others are trying at the same time. They say this is not a race, but they are locked in competition to be the first woman to reach the summit of the 14 peaks.

The female climbers vying to make history. Their challenge? To scale the fourteen highest peaks in the world. They come from South Korea, Spain, Italy and Austria to pit themselves against some of the harshest environments on earth, more than 8000 metres high in the Karakoram and Himalayan mountains. It is a dangerous quest. Who will realise their dream?The four-part season, with Joanna Jolly and Kathy Karlo, is coming soon.