Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan

Scoring a worldie on your national team debut? Check. Ending a rival team's 2-year long unbeaten streak? Check. Unleash the roar scholarship? Check.  At just 18 years of age, Kyra Elise Taylor already has a stellar list of achievements that maybe the envy of most. Having recently made her international bow for the Lionesses in their 9-0 win over Macau, the sky seems to be the limit for Kyra. She sat down with Sports Minutes to tell us about how she first fell in love with the beautiful game, her ambitions as she embarks on university education and her decision to represent Singapore despite being of mixed-heritage. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

Having capped a stellar 2023 with an historic Asian Games gold, you'd think the 2024 Olympic games would see Singapore's Shanti Pereira scale even greater heights. But it hasn't proved to be as straight forward for the Lion City's sprint queen. Sidelined through an injury in the first half of the year, Shanti's preparations for Paris have been hampered. Nonetheless, buoyed by her recent engagement, the 27-year old remains up beat ahead of her second Olympics participation - as revealed on this special episode of Sports Minutes! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

Does the name Firdaus Kassim ring a bell? I’m guessing it does, as he’s the head coach who guided Hougang United to their only piece of silverware to date - and that’s the Singapore Cup in 2022. Since then though, he’s departed the Cheetahs and turned blue! That’s right, he’s recently been appointed as the head coach of the Lion City Sailors U21 team. So what was it about the Sailors project that attracted him? And how hands on is Luka Lalić, the team’s technical director? What does he make of his departure from Hougang, and does he bear any grudges considering how it all ended? Firdaus sat down with Sports Minutes to answer this and more Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

Now you’d think that on a weekend that saw 24 goals across 4 games - football would take centre stage on this episode of Sports Minutes, but alas it’s not…because it was marred by an unsavoury incident - with allegations of racial abuse by fans targeting French forward Salif Cisse emerging.  The two clubs that are involved have since released statements on social media, stating their zero tolerance stance towards racism - and the Football Association itself has said investigations into the matter have commenced. Deepanraj Ganesan, who broke the story for the Straits Times, has the latest on Sports Minutes. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/monkey-chants-allegedly-directed-at-tanjong-pagar-s-salif-cisse-during-singapore-premier-league-game https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/from-the-sidelines-to-stardom-footballer-nur-ain-salleh-14-aims-to-make-her-family-proud Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

In 2021, Loh Kean Yew garnered the adulation of a nation when he won the BWF World Badminton Championships. Since then, the Singaporean shuttler has clinched three BWF World Tour wins - propelling himself into the public eye with his blend of hunger and humility. So how will he fare at the upcoming Paris Olympics? Sports Minutes checks in with 27-year old to find out how he's preparing for his second appearance at the Olympics. Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

For years, Japanese coach Kazuaki Yoshinaga was synonymous with an all-conquering Albirex Niigata, delivering 4 league titles, 2 Singapore Cups, 1 League Cup, 3 Community Shields in his two stints as head coach at the club. But following a poor start to the 2024/25 season, the defending champions announced on July 13 that they have parted ways with the four-time Coach of the Year by mutual consent. Why and how did it amount to this, and what now for the White Swans? Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times, weighs in. READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/albirex-niigata-part-ways-with-spl-winning-coach-kazuaki-yoshinaga Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

A Monday of congratulations and commiserations, as Spain conquered the continent to be crowned champions of Europe while the wait goes on for England as alas, it DIDN’T come home. On today’s Sports Minutes, Zia-ul Raushan speaks to two fans - Alberto Ramon Siles, a Spanish journalist who hails from Murcia, and Jod Gill, a lifelong England fan and a partner with Deloitte SEA reviewing the final that kept football fans in this region up in the wee hours of Monday night. Were you one of them? Then you’re going to want to tune in! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

The Singapore Women’s National Team are set to play their FIRST match on home soil in more than a year, when they take on Macau on July 16th at the Jalan Besar Stadium. So have you got your tickets to go support Team Singapore? Well if you haven’t - allow Dorcas Chu, who has battled the odds to overcome an ACL injury and returned to the National Team squad, to convince you. Tune in as Sports Minutes gets the latest on how the Lionesses are preparing for the upcoming test, and why you should make a date to go cheer on the girls! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

The Singapore Aquatics has recently been in the headlines for the shock omission of 3-time Olympian Quah Ting Wen from it’s swimming contingent heading to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Described by some as a ‘baffling and confusing’ decision, just how and why did it amount to this for the 31-year old - who up until 5th July 2024 was expecting to be on the plane to Paris? Ting Wen herself joins us on Sports Minutes to clarify the ifs, buts and hows.  READ MORE: https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/singaporean-swimmer-quah-ting-wen-fails-in-appeal-for-paris-olympics Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg

FOUR is the magic number on this episode of Sports Minutes - as the Euros reaches the semi-final stage and the FINAL FOUR tussle it out for a place in Sunday’s final. Who is most deserving of their spot, and who will conquer the continent? Plus, the top FOUR in the Singapore Premier League all clinched victories over the weekend, but who was MOST impressive? Deepanraj Ganesan weighs in! Got a story to tell? Get in touch with us! raushan@sph.com.sg