Sporting Witness

The Iranian Mansour Bahrami is one of the most popular players in tennis thanks to his trick shots and showmanship - but his life story is equally remarkable. Simon Watts shares some of the highlights from a 2014 interview with the BBC.PHOTO: Mansour Bahrami (Getty Images).

In 1964, the Japanese women's volleyball team became national heroes after winning gold at their home Olympics in Tokyo. Nicknamed the Witches of the Orient, the players were put through a punishing training regime by a former platoon commander in the Japanese imperial army in order to beat the Soviet Union. Their triumph came to symbolise the re-emergence of Japan after World War II. Emily Williams reports.(Photo: The Japanese team with their coach in 1964. Credit: Getty Images)

In 1958 Canadian Willie O'Ree broke the colour barrier in the National Hockey League. Willie O'Ree was picked to play for the Boston Bruins in the NHL despite suffering a devastating eye injury earlier in his career. The NHL was then made up of just six professional teams based in Canada and the United States. O'Ree had to face horrific racial abuse from both fans and some players when he took to the ice. Alex Last spoke to Willie O'Ree about his memories of being the first elite black ice hockey player. Photo:Willie O'Ree, now a NHL Diversity Ambassador attends the NHL All Star Game at Bell Centre on January 25, 2009 in Montreal, Canada. (Photo by Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images for NHL)

In March 1996, Sri Lanka pulled off an unexpected victory in the Cricket World Cup, demolishing a strong Australian team in the final. The win sparked wild celebrations in Sri Lanka, which had never won a tournament before and was still wracked by civil war. Emily Williams talks to the coach of the Sri Lankan team, Dav Whatmore. The programme is a Whistledown Production.PHOTO: Arjuna Ranatunga and Asanka Gurusinha with the Cricket World Cup trophy after Sri Lanka beat Australia in the final, Lahore, 17th March 1996. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)

At the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, the Canadian figure-skaters Jamie Salé and David Pelletier were victims of one of the biggest scandals in the history of the games. The pair put in a flawless performance in their final routine, but were only awarded a silver medal because one of the judges felt under pressure to vote for their Russian rivals. The decision sparked outrage but, after an investigation that overshadowed the rest of the Olympics, Salé and Pelletier were eventually awarded a joint gold medal. Jamie Salé talks to James Cowling. (Photo: The four gold medallists. Credit: Getty Images)

At the 1976 Winter Olympics, legendary Austrian skier Franz Klammer took gold in front of a passionate home crowd in one of the greatest downhill races of all time. In 2014, he spoke to Simon Watts.PICTURE: Franz Klammer celebrating with the Austrian crowd in Innsbruck (Getty Images)

Just hours before the Vancouver Olympics opened in 2010, a young luge athlete from Georgia, Nodar Kumaritashvili, was killed when he crashed in training. Many critics said the sliding track was too fast and too difficult. Modifications to the track were made to make it safer and the competition went ahead, but the episode cast a shadow over the games and shocked the luging community. Rebecca Kesby spoke to Nodar's father, Davit Kumaritashvili.Photo: Candles and flowers left as a tribute to Nodar Kumaritashvili, Vancouver 2010. (Getty Images)

In 1991, amid escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula, Pyongyang and Seoul agreed to field a united Korean table tennis team at the world championships in Japan. Previously bitter rivals, players from the North and South spent more than a month training together and eventually bonding. Their experience inspired a hit film in South Korea, where ping pong is a very popular sport. Sporting Witness talks to former South Korean women's champion, Hyun Jung-Hwa.PHOTO: The Korean women's team on the podium (Getty Images)

In 1988, the British mountaineer, Stephen Venables, was forced to spend the night by himself in the so-called "Death Zone" near the top of Mount Everest. In one of the most remarkable achievements in the history of climbing, Venables managed to survive despite not having a tent or supplementary oxygen. He talks to Lucy Burns.PHOTO: Stephen Venables (Getty Images)

As George Weah takes office as President of Liberia, we look back at his footballing career through the memories of Arsenal manager, Arsene Wenger. Wenger discovered the African striker when he was manager of the French side Monaco and became a father figure to the young Weah. Arsene Wenger talks to Tayo Popoola. PHOTO: George Weah in action in the 1990s (Getty Images)

In January 1995, the French forward Eric Cantona shocked football by attacking an opposition fan during a match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace. Cantona faced a court case and was banned for nine months. Simon Watts tells the story of his Kung-Fu kick through BBC interviews with people who were there.PHOTO: The Cantona Kung-Fu kick (AFP/Getty Images)

In 1994, the Irish jockey, Declan Murphy, was reported as dead in the racing press after sustaining severe brain damage in a fall at Haydock Park. Murphy later woke from his coma, although he had lost all memory of the previous four years of his life and his personality had changed. The Irish jockey learnt to walk and then ride again, making an emotional return to the sport 18 months later. Declan Murphy talks to Simon Watts.(Photo: Declan Murphy)

In January 1967 the record-breaking British driver, Donald Campbell, was killed at the helm of his jet-boat Bluebird as he tried to beat his own water speed record. His only daughter, Gina, remembers her legendary father. This programme was first broadcast in 2013.Photo: Campbell's boat "Bluebird" on a training run (Getty Images)

In 1998 the annual yacht race descended into disaster as hurricane force storms capsized boats and threw sailors into the ocean. Six people were killed but fifty were winched to safety in daring sea rescue operations that risked the lives of the emergency crews. Rebecca Kesby has been speaking to Peter Davidson, one of the first paramedics to arrive on the scene, who saved the lives of eight stranded sailors in treacherous conditions.(PHOTO: Sydney, Australia - December 26: General view of the start of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race December 26, 1998 in Sydney, Australia. (Credit: Nick Wilson/Getty Images)

In 1987, the Libyan dictator, Colonel Gaddafi, decided to sponsor a struggling German ice hockey team called ECD Iserlohn. Gaddafi paid a million dollars for the team to wear an image of his infamous “Green Book” on their uniforms, but the sponsorship deal outraged fans and became a media scandal. David Prest speaks to former Iserlohm player, Early Spry, and the writer, Gabriel Luis Manga. The programme is a Whistledown Production.PHOTO: An ECD Iserlohn player wearing the "Green Book" logo (Press Association)

In December 1995, the journeyman Belgian midfielder, Jean-Marc Bosman won a European court ruling that transformed his sport. The European Court of Justice declared that players had the right to negotiate transfers when their contracts expired, and ended limits on the number of European footballers per club. The ruling created the modern transfer market and fuelled the power of players – but ruined the career of Bosman himself. He talks to Ashley Byrne. PHOTO: Jean-Marc Bosman with his lawyers (Getty Images)

In 2008, former refugee Lopez Lomong carried the flag for the USA at the Beijing Olympics, before competing in the 1500 metres. As a child, Lomong fled from a prison for child soldiers in South Sudan, eventually reaching a refugee camp in Kenya where he was one of the thousands of so-called “Lost Boys”. Lomong was later adopted by an American family, who encouraged his dream to reach the Olympic Games. He talks to Simon Watts.PHOTO: Lopez Lomong in 2008 (Getty Images)

The world of tennis is mourning the death of the popular Czech player, Jana Novotna, at the age of 49. In 1993, Novotna threw away a huge lead in the women's final at Wimbledon but captured the hearts of tennis fans by breaking down in tears on the shoulder of the Duchess of Kent, the tournament's patron. Five years later, Novotna was back on Centre Court, and this time she won. In 2015, she told her story to Kirsty McQuire. PHOTO: The Duchess of Kent consoles Jana Novotna after her 1993 defeat (Getty Images)

In 2002, a middle-aged mother made history by winning one of the toughest races in the world outright. Pam Reed beat all the elite men competing in the 135-mile Badwater marathon through the desert of Death Valley, California. After her victory was seen by some as a fluke, she responded by defeating all the male runners again the following year. Pam Reed talks to Lissa Cook.(Photo: Pam Reed after her victory at the Badwater marathon. Credit: Getty Images)

In November 1993, eight fighters from a range of martial arts disciplines took part in the first ever “Ultimate Fighting Championship” in Denver, Colorado. The controversial and often bloody event was a huge success and marked the beginning of one of the world’s fastest growing sports. Ashley Byrne talks to the promoter, Art Davie.PHOTO: Action fro the first Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993 (Getty Images Sport)