Sporting Witness

In 1992, newly independent Lithuania managed to get its basketball team into the Barcelona Olympics after American rock band Grateful Dead agreed to help with fundraising. A brilliant generation of Lithuanian players then won a bronze medal in a grudge match against the former Soviet Union. Witness speaks to Arvydas Sabonis and Gintaras Krapikas, two members of the Lithuanian side.

With contributions from journalist Ramunas Bogdanas

Picture: The Lithuanian team in their Grateful Dead shirts, Credit: Getty Images Sports Classic

In 1978, a US naval officer and his wife invented an extreme form of triathlon which is becoming increasingly popular around the world. Called Ironman, John and Judy Collins' creation consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle ride and a 26.2 mile running marathon. They talk to Ashley Byrne about how the event was first launched in Hawaii. The programme is a Made in Manchester Production for BBC World Service.

Picture: A recent edition of Ironman in Hawaii, Credit: Getty Images

In 1979, a freak storm hit a prestigious ocean race in the Irish Sea, killing 15 sailors and 3 rescuers. Matthew Sheehan tells Sporting Witness how hurricane-force winds engulfed his yacht as it headed towards the Fastnet rock, killing his father. This programme was first broadcast in 2010.

PHOTO: Hulton Archive/Getty Images.

In 1958, Milkha Singh became the first Indian to win a track-and-field gold at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff. Singh - later nicknamed the Flying Sikh - had been orphaned in the violence that followed the Partition of India. He overcame the trauma by discovering athletics while serving in the Indian army. He talks to Sporting Witness.

PHOTO: Getty Images

The last time the Commonwealth Games were held in Scotland was in 1986, when nearly 60 countries, mostly from Africa and the Caribbean, boycotted the event in protest at Margaret Thatcher’s policy of maintaining sporting links with apartheid-era South Africa. Eve Streeter talks to the English distance runner Jon Solly about winning the 10,000 metres at a games that was attended almost exclusively by white athletes.

(Photo: The opening of the 1986 Commonwealth Games. Credit: PA)

In 1975, the great Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx lost the Tour de France after being punched by a spectator during a mountain stage. The incident marked the start of the decline of a rider so dominant he was nicknamed "The Cannibal". British cyclist Barry Hoban recalls the punch and shares his personal memories of racing with Merckx.

(Photo: Eddy Merckx. Credit: AFP/Getty Images)

In 1953, England were regarded as the "Fathers of Football" and as virtually unbeatable on home soil. But a Hungarian team led by the great Ferenc Puskas demolished them 6-3 at Wembley Stadium. Will Yates introduces memories of the match from former players, Stan Mortensen and Jackie Sewell, and former England manager, Bobby Robson, who was in the crowd. The programme is a Whistledown Production.

PHOTO: Centre-Forward Nandor Hidegkuti hammers home Hungary's sixth goal (Hulton Archive/Getty Images).

In 1978, Argentina hosted the World Cup while under a brutal military dictatorship. Amid controversy and fanatical home support, the team reached the final and won a dramatic victory in extra time. Sporting Witness hears the memories of defender, Alberto Tarantini. The programme is a Whistledown Production.

PHOTO: AFP/Getty Images.

In 2002, South Korea put in the best performance ever in Asian football, reaching the World Cup semi-final and defeating some of the top teams in Europe. They were helped by massive home support. Sporting Witness talks to South Korean player, Lee Young Pyo. The programme is a Whistledown Production.

(Photo: South Korea fans at the 2002 World Cup. Credit: Kim Jae-Hwan/AFP via Getty Images)

In 1994, the Colombian defender Andres Escobar was murdered in the city of Medellin shortly after scoring an own goal in a crucial match at the World Cup. Many linked his death directly to his mistake on the pitch. Sporting Witness talks to Colombian journalist Luis Fernando Restrepo, a friend of Escobar's who saw him on the night he was killed.

(Photo: Getty Images)