Sports Minutes with Zia-ul Raushan
Delve beyond the headlines in the world of sport to suss out the synergy between sport and daily life by tuning in daily for all the big sporting stories, quirky anecdotes and hot takes on Sports Minutes.
Episodes
They train together. They travel together. They compete together. And yes… they’re a couple too. Matilda Lai and Nur Aufa Emil join Sports Minutes after representing Singapore at the Commonwealth Games, with another big 3x3 basketball event coming up very soon on home soil. We chat about their journeys, setbacks, injuries, sacrifices and what it’s like having someone beside you who understands exactly what elite ...
As the euphoria settles after securing a spot in the final four of the AFF Championship, the work has already begun for the Thai test that awaits in the semi-finals. Ahead of the two-legged clash, Sports Minutes heads into the Lions’ den to speak to FAS Deputy President Desmond Ong, Lions Head Coach Gavin Lee and Ilhan Fandi.
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raushan@sph.com.sg
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Draw and die, that was the assignment heading into the clash against Indonesia. And the Lions came out victorious in their pursuit of a spot in the final four at the 2026 AFF Championship. Buoyed by a rapturous home crowd, the boys in red sent Indonesia home to deliver the perfect gift two days before the Lion City celebrates National Day. So is this new dawn of fanfare and fervour here to stay?
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Few names carry as much weight in Singapore football as Noh Alam Shah. From legendary striker to more recently a head coach - Alam Shah joins Sports Minutes to reflect on leaving Tanjong Pagar United, his biggest coaching lessons, and the future that lies ahead. He also previews Singapore's blockbuster meeting with Indonesia, offering the insight only someone who's lived both sides of the rivalry can.
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Days before National Day, the Lions have the chance to give Singapore another reason to celebrate. A draw against Indonesia on 7th August will send them into the AFF semi-finals, but the stakes go beyond football. Deepanraj Ganesan joins Sports Minutes to discuss belief, resilience, memories of past battles with Indonesia, and why the momentum behind Singapore football must continue regardless of the result.
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One save. One moment. One nation celebrating. At just 19, Lionesses' goalkeeper Izairida Shakira held her nerve in a high-pressure penalty shootout to send the Singapore Women's National Team to the ASEAN Championship and etch her name into local football history. But what was going through her mind? We relive the save that sparked a nation, explore her rapid rise, and hear why she believes the best is still to come.
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Top of the group after two wins from their opening two ASEAN Championship matches, yet questions remain about Singapore's performances. Will the lack of a true identity come back to haunt the Lions, with regional powerhouses Vietnam and Indonesia up next? We hear from head coach Gavin Lee and man-in-form Ilhan Fandi on Sports Minutes, as well as The Straits Times Sports Correspondent Deepanraj Ganesan.
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Football can humble you as quickly as it can lift you. Zharfan Rohaizad has experienced both. Now at Tampines Rovers, the goalkeeper reflects on career-defining choices, battling injuries, becoming a first-time father and the hunger to finally earn his place back with the National Team. Is this the chapter where everything clicks?
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sph.com.sg
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...
Fresh from putting to pen paper on a 2-year deal to join the Lion City Sailors, Ilhan Fandi sits down with Sports Minutes in the Lion's Den. From becoming a sailor on home soil to carrying the weight of a nation heading into the ASEAN Championship - Ilhan sheds lights on the privilege of representing Singapore, and the pressure that comes with it.
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sph.com.sg
Cape Verde's fairytale run at the 2026 FIFA World Cup has got people comparing the African minnows with Singapore. But is it truly a like for like comparison? Plus, Anderson Lopes' bombshell statement upon sealing his departure from the Lion City Sailors has got fans of the local game up in arms! Did he need to say what he said? Deepanraj Ganesan, correspondent with The Straits Times, weighs in on Sports Minutes.
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The Singapore Premier League transfer window is heating up, and Hougang United have made one of its eye-catching moves by signing Belgian winger Ayman Kassimi. The 25-year-old joins Sports Minutes to discuss his journey from Belgium to Singapore, his humble beginnings, his time in European football alongside Ilhan Fandi, and why he believes the SPL is the perfect next chapter.
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sp...
They were born in the same year, but their football journeys have taken very different turns. Saifullah Akbar and Nazhim Harman - both part of the class of '99 at the Singapore Sports School - sit down with Sports Minutes to talk about career crossroads, family legacies and finding purpose through a project that somehow made it out of the group chat!
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sph.com.sg
Out with the old and in with the new. It’s all change over at Tanjong Pagar United. Rajesh Nair, a technopreneur with a reputation for resurrecting struggling organisations, officially takes charge as a the club chairman on 1 July 2026. To go with that, there's a new leadership team, new signings and a new logo that’s divided opinion on social media. So what does the future hold? Tune in to find out!
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Both have represented Singapore. Both have made sacrifices. Yet their sporting experiences couldn't be more different. Siblings Sara and Jeffery Lightfoot join us to discuss national pride, funding disparities, athlete welfare and the challenges of pursuing sporting excellence in Singapore. When some sports enjoy greater resources than others, what does "equal footing" really mean?
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raushan@sph....
A historic win, a debut to remember, and a new coach leading the charge. The Singapore Women's National Team clearly are undergoing a renaissance of sorts - and Sports Minutes has all the details, in converstion with Danelle Tan and Yuvika Suresh.
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sph.com.sg
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What does it take to turn adversity into ambition? Team Singapore’s Gemma Rose Foo joins Sports Minutes to share her remarkable story - from surviving against the odds as a premature baby diagnosed with cerebral palsy, to becoming one of our country's leading para-equestrian athletes - representing the nation on the world stage at multiple Paralympic Games.
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sph.com.sg
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On a night when Hariss Harun hit a landmark 148th appearance for Singapore to become the most-capped player in history, we wonder if the Lions' skipper is the GREATEST ever to represent the nation? Plus, all change at Tanjong Pagar United. Deepanraj Ganesan, sports reporter with The Straits Times, has the details on Sports Minutes.
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https://www.straitstimes.com/sport/football/tanjong-pagar-united-set-for-a-new-...
When it comes to the Singapore National Team we often hear the Fandi brothers mentioned. But what about the Stewart brothers? Arguably less heralded, but most certainly just as important to the Lions - Ryhan & Harhys Stewart sit down with Sports Minutes to talk about club, country and much more.
Got a story to tell? Get in touch!
raushan@sph.com.sg
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Bad signings. Bad results. Bad reputation. A dire assessment of the Young Lions. But is it a fair one considering the realities of Singapore football? Sports Minutes ventures to find out, in conversation with Young Lions head coach Firdaus Kassim.
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The end of the 2025/26 Singapore Premier League season marks farewells across the league, but Geylang International will feel this one in particular - Vincent Bezecourt. Having arrived on our shores in 2021, the Frenchman went on to make more than a century of appearances in the famous green. Now, as he approaches 33, he steps away from the Eagles..and potentially the beautiful game, entirely. What led to this decision? We find out...
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