Show Notes
We look to answer the key questions regarding Saudi Arabia’s ever-expanding and evolving sporting revolution. We discuss the origins of the Kingdom’s involvement in global sport and look at its growing influence in football, tennis, boxing and golf, against a backdrop of criticism regarding Saudi Arabia’s human rights record, as well as asking if there’s any ceiling to the country’s sporting ambitions. Eleanor Oldroyd is joined by BBC sports editor Dan Roan and BBC sports news correspondent Laura Scott, who have both witnessed, first hand, the development of sport in Saudi Arabia over the past 12 months. We hear at length from Saudi Arabia's sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al Faisal about the reasons behind his country's huge investment in sport, and from the president of the Saudi Tennis Federation, Arij Mutabagani - the first woman to be elected as the president of a Saudi Arabian sports federation - on how bringing the WTA Finals to Saudi Arabia will aid the development of women's sport and women's sport in the country. We also hear from BBC boxing reporter Kal Sajad and BBC golf correspondent Iain Carter about Saudi Arabia's ever-increasing influence over boxing and golf.
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Over the past six years, participation levels for Padel in the UK have gone from 15,000 to one million. The number of courts in Britain has risen from just 68 in 2019, to over 2,200 today. So why is it so popular? Does it have a long-term future? And is it at risk of pricing people out, at the expense of other sports? Mark Chapman and Jason Manford try and answer all those questions and more, as they take a deep dive into the UK’s fastest growing sport. To help them answer all those queries are some experts including; Sandy Farquharson, GB Padel coach, Catherine Rose a GB Padel player and seven-time major doubles champion Jamie Murray - who is now an investor in Game4Padel who have 27 venues across the UK. And if you’re still not entirely sure what Padel is – the experts will explain all of that too.
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After returning to Grand Slam doubles action for the first time in four years at this year's US Open, what better time to reflect on the three-decade long careers of Venus and Serena Williams? Earlier this year Russell Fuller sat down with his predecessors as BBC Tennis Correspondent, Jonathan Overend and Iain Carter, to reflect on the Williams sisters’ careers. The trio discuss everything from Venus' rapid rise before the arrival of her sister, to Serena's inevitable dominance & her sometimes spiky relationship with the media. Timecodes 07:21 Anti-climactic finals between them, & suspicion around pre-arranged matches 11:01 Their dominance in the doubles 13:28 Serena wins & holds all four grand-slams, beating Venus in every Final 15:41 Serena's will to win & was she a particularly bad loser? 18:35 Health problems for both sisters in 2011 19:25 Serena's partnership with Patrick Mouratoglou, & chasing the Margaret Court record 24:14 Russell's sole interview with Serena in 2018
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