On 5th April 1997, the 150th Grand National horse race was meant to take place at the Aintree racecourse near Liverpool. But the IRA sent 2 coded bomb threats which meant the world famous steeplechase had to be abandoned. Managing Director of the course at the time, Charles Barnett, tells Uma Doraiswamy what it was like to be the man responsible for safely evacuating 70,000 people and trying to get the race back on track. (Photo: A sign instructs the public on the evacuation procedure due to the IRA bomb scare which postponed The Grand National in April 1997. Credit: Getty)

On April 21st, 2014, wheelchair athlete Ernst van Dyk clinched a record-breaking 10th win at the Boston Marathon - a bittersweet achievement coming just a year after terrorists bombed the 2013 race. But before Ernst dominated Boston, he spent over a decade training and competing before achieving marathon and Paralympic success. Ernst has been telling Wayne Wright about how he achieved his Boston dream. This programme is a Made in Manchester Production for the BBC World Service. (Photo: Ernst van Dyk about to cross the finishing line at the 2014 Boston Marathon. Credit: Getty)

It has been 30 years since Champions League winners Marseille were relegated from the French top division for bribery and match fixing. The champions were accused of offering bribes to players from fellow French side, Valenciennes. Jean Marie Veniel was the referee who first blew the whistle on the scandal. He has been sharing his memories with Matt Pintus. (Picture: Marseille celebrate after winning 1993 Champions League. Credit: Getty Images)

Nathalie Amiel was a star of French rugby for more than fifteen years, from when she started playing internationally aged 15. She was part of the French team which won the Five Nations, as well as the European Championship four times. The 2002 season was her final one, she finished off her career winning the first ever women's Six Nations Championship. Nathalie has been speaking to Laura Jones. (Photo: Nathalie Amiel playing for France. Credit: Nathalie Amiel)

Ammo Baba was a beloved player, whose heading ability was legendary and who scored Iraq's first ever international goal. As a coach, Ammo Baba won many regional trophies for the Iraqi team and stood up to Saddam Hussein's sadistic son, Uday. In 2009, thousands of Iraqis gathered at the National Football Stadium to attend the funeral of the player and coach, Emmanuel Baba Dawud, better known as Ammo Baba. His brother, Banwal Baba Dawud, spoke to Ashley Byrne in 2016. The programme is a Made In Manchester Production. (Picture: Ammos Baba's funeral. Credit: Getty Images)

In 2012 Irene helped lead her New Zealand team Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic to victory, beating the Melbourne Vixens in the ANZ Championships. She later went on to play for New Zealand’s national team, the Silver Ferns. Originally from South Africa, she initially faced a hostile media who didn’t accept her as a New Zealand player, but with her success she eventually became a national treasure. She is the most-capped netballer of all time. Irene has been speaking to Alex Collins. (Photo: Irene Van Dyk playing in the All Star Celeb Slam in Novermber 2020 Credit: Getty)

In 1988, New Zealand referee Keith Walker facilitated a fight between South Korean boxer Byun Jung II and Bulgarian boxer Aleksandr Khristov. The Bulgarian won the match 4 -1, but when the bell rang, the ring erupted into chaos, with the referee defending himself from the punches that were being thrown his way. Soon afterwards, he decided to quit refereeing. Vicky Carter spoke to Keith Walker. (Photo: South Korean assistant boxing coach Lee Chung-Ha grabs New Zealand referee Keith Walker. Credit: Staff/AFP via Getty Images)

In 1950, Argentina hosted the inaugural Basketball World Cup for ten teams from around the world. Argentina beat the USA 64–50 in the final in Buenos Aires on 3 November. Rachel Naylor speaks to Ricardo González, Argentina's captain. (Photo: Ricardo González in 2023. Credit: María Eva González)

American Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu started Muay Thai fighting in Boulder, Colorado. It was a trip to Thailand that made her realise that if she wanted to progress in the sport, she would have to move there permanently to train and fight. She quickly became one of the best fighters in the martial art, surpassing 200 fights; something no other western fighter has achieved in Thailand. She became WBC Muay Thai minimum weight world champion in 2023. Sylvie has been speaking to Wayne Wright for this Made in Manchester production. (Photo: Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu in training for a fight. Credit: Kevin Von Duuglas-Ittu)

In 2007, the first ever Clericus Cup was played, with trainee priests from the Vatican City's seminaries competing. It was an effort to present a different image of football, following various Italian scandals. Don Davide Tisato, the captain of the winning team and a former professional footballer, has been speaking to Laura Jones, along with Felice Alborghetti from the Centro Sportivo Italiano. (Photo: Davide Tisato lifting the Clericus Cup with his team Redemptoris Mater. Credit: Centro Sportivo Italiano Archive)