Sportshour

The San Quentin Correction Facility is one of North America's most notorious prisons. It has held convicts like Charles Manson, and today it houses the largest death row population in the USA. The cells are dark, claustrophobic and threatening. However outside in the Californian sun is one of the more progressive rehabilitation projects in the American penial system: The San Quentin tennis program. The tennis court is one of very few places in the prison where racial divides do not exist. No matter of race or gang affiliation, the tennis court is a neutral zone. We’re on court with murderers, bank robbers and kidnappersMr. Irrelevant: The NFL Draft comes to an end on Saturday, with the 256th and last pick earning the title 'Mr Irrelevant'. That may seem harsh, but it made no difference to Marty Moore who became the first Mr Irrelevant to make it to and then win a Super Bowl ring with the New England Patriots. He tells us just how relevant he went onto become!Escape from Alcatraz! After Birmingham‘s Dave Healy

Searching for swimmers in the South PacificSituated in the tropics, Tonga is surrounded by the blue waters of the South Pacific. But few Tongans can swim or are tempted into the water. Now efforts are being made to change that, and even find a future Olympian, as Aaron Kearney reports from the Kingdom.Mum's the wordFor some elite sportswomen, motherhood is something that comes after their careers are over. But for some of the best marathon runners that's not the case. Ed Harry's been talking to Kenya's Mary Keitany, the second fastest woman in history ... The Invictus Games - Rehabilitation through sport it's not about winning -- it's the taking part -- that's one of the themes of the next month's Invictus Games, for wounded, injured and sick servicemen and women. Joanna Martin from Scotland, is competing in three events, ten years after a life-changing accident ....Chyna - remembering a pioneer This week the world of pro-wrestling lost an icon and pioneer. The former female wrestler Chyna, was found dead

Jonas Gutierrez has been speaking to Sportshour after an employment tribunal found he was dropped by Newcastle United because of his cancer diagnosis. He told Caroline Barker some of his former-team mates called to congratulate him after the verdict. The 32-year-old was suing the Magpies for about $3,000,000 on the grounds of disability discrimination. The tribunal also ruled the club made it impossible for Gutierrez to trigger an appearance-based contract extension. Newcastle say they are "dismayed" by the judgement and are considering further options with their legal team. Claims of unfavorable treatment and another of harassment related to disability were dismissed.Kobe Calling: We bid farewell to one of basketballs finest by finding out what it was like to play with the great man. Vladimir Radmanović says it was tough to turn down Kobe Bryant when the NBA legend asked him to become a team-mate at the LA Lakers. Now retired he also plans to take on Bryant in a one-on-one contest, but only in a couple of y

We are on the course at Aintree in Liverpool ahead of the world’s most famous horse race, The Grand National. We speak to the Leighton Aspel who is looking to become the first ever jockey to win the race three years in a row. He is riding last years winner Many Clouds, who is hoping to become the first horse since Red Rum to win the Grand National in consecutive years.The Man Who Taught Tricks to Neymar Andrew Henderson has not only got the skills to be a four time freestyle football world champion, he's even taught Barcelona and Brazil star Neymar a thing or two! For Andrew it's been a long road to freestyle fame, as a teenager he was told he might never walk again following a broken leg. We hear from Andrew and Liv Cooke, one of the leading female professionals, about a sport that is still developing. Bikes, Bumps and Broken Bones This weekend sees the start of the British Superbike Championships. These specially modified production motorbikes are loud, fast and dangerous. A new documentary charting the th

The new Major League Baseball season starts this weekend set against the back drop of a new era in relations between Cuba and the USA. The sport has always played a significant role politically between the two counties, not least back in the 1960s for a young man from Maryland, USA at the start of his sporting career. Tom Brown is one of very few people who have played professional football, he won two Super Bowls, and Major League baseball! He's also unique in being the only man picked to play by the President!Women’s Footballs Greatest Fight: We hear from former England star Anita Asante, one of the black players representing Swedish side Rosengrad, who were subject to alleged racist abuse from fans as they played away to Frankfurt in the Women’s Champions League. Referee-ndum: We look at how football might have a bearing on the way people vote in the upcoming EU referendum, and on how that result could in turn potentially change football in Britain.On Thin Ice: We’re at the World Figure Skating Championsh

This week's visit by Barack Obama to Cuba, was the first by a sitting US president since the 1959 revolution. It followed two years of secret talks which eventually restored embassies in Havana and Washington. On Tuesday Presidents Obama and Castro even sat together, to watch a baseball, between the Cuban National team and the Tampa Bay Rays from the US Major League -- a league that features many players who've defected from Cuba. So what does the future hold -- Film maker and author Brin-Jonathan Butler has explored Cuba through sport.Plus when it comes to sport in India, cricket is the boss. But it's said rugby was played in Calcutta in 1872 and every year England and Scotland play for the Calcutta Cup, a trophy made from melted down rupees. Among the groups of cricketers playing in one of the city's open spaces, Sarah Mulkerrins discovered the Jungle Crows rugby team, who are using the sport to divert some of the city's youngsters from a life of crime.(Picture: Sasha Obama, U.S. first lady Michelle O

Caroline Barker investigates the softer side of one of sports most bitter rivalries as India prepare to host Pakistan at the World T20 but their fans are uniting on Social Media using the hashtag #ProfileforPeace in an effort to ease tensions between the countries. We'll hear from Eddie Izzard as he runs 27 Marathons in 27 days in honour of Nelson Mandela and Sports Relief. Reaction from Britian's most successful female Olympian Victoria Pendleton as she switches saddles to ride at the Cheltenham Festival. England International goalkeeper Carly Telford tells us why she helped develop the first goalkeeping gloves made specifically for female hands. We're in Rio as 80 Children from 9 countries compete at the first ever Street Child games, in Germany to hear about a Syrian swimmer hoping to compete on a refugee team at this summer's Olympic games.(Photo: Indian and Pakistan Cricket fans stand together. Credit: Getty Images.

Richard Parks is set to take on his toughest challenge. He's used to rough sporting battles, having played rugby union for Wales, but it's his career as a self-styled "Extreme Environmental Athlete" that has really pushed him to the limits. His next goal is to climb Everest without the aid of oxygen, taking blood samples for medical research into Alzheimers along the way. In doing so he hopes to become the first man to do so. Bonkers Bucket List Bet! Ever thought about all the sporting events you'd most like to go to? A kind of sporting bucket list. Well that's exactly what Welshman Kieren "Beefy" Blake and New Zealander Rob Bryers did... And then some!They are taking in 365 different sports in 365 days all over the globe. We catch up with them a third of the way through their sporting odyssey in Greenland at the Eskimo GamesFrom Raqqa to Rucks Mohed Altrad was born and abandoned in a Bedouin tent in the Syrian desert near Raqqa. Through sheer grit he got himself an education and a stroke of luck gave him a

To mark International Women’s Day we’ve gathered in conversation four women who in their own way have confronted and overcome some of the most significant barriers facing women in sport. We’ll also look back at some of the stories Sportshour has covered in the past year, from body image to physical and mental abuse of female athletes. We’ll ask if the past twelve months has seen any progress towards gender equality in sport. Joining us to chat through those and many other issues are…Ghanaian football agent Dentaa Amoateng is not only a successful entrepreneur but known for her acting career too. She is also the agent for Ghana’s biggest footballer Asamoah Gyan. Ingrid Bentzer is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. After retirement she served as Head of Women's Professional Tennis for the International Tennis Federation; She is currently a member of the Fed Cup committee. British Rower Gee Purdy was part of the 4 women crew who recently and successfully completed the world’s toughest rowing race.

It's a parent's instinct to want the best for their child, and to help them achieve it, but at what point does a supportive Mother or a Father cross the line and start putting too much pressure on their off-spring?Olympic Swimmer Karen Pickering has been investigating the world of children’s sport - speaking to a ten year old that was getting booed by other parents and to a man who didn't realise he was making his son's passion, football, a misery. She also tells us about the extreme case of the former professional Ice Hockey player who was beaten daily by his father until the day, aged 16, when he called the police.The Fittest on Earth CrossFit mixes weightlifting, gymnastics, sprinting, rowing and more. Starting this week, all over the world, gym-goers are launching their personal bid to become 2016's World Champion. The very best will get all the way to California for the finals this July. But the process begins at your local gym. Sportshour's Ed Harry has been to his, to find out whether he's got wha

A ban on women spectators at volleyball games in Iran was supposed to be lifted for this week's men's international beach volleyball event on Kish Island. But "mis-understandings" meant some women were denied entry. Fernando Lima, secretary general of the sport's governing body, has been telling Sportshour why the event took place.(Image: General view shows a volleyball match between Iran and Norway during Beach Volleyball World Tour on the Iranian Kish Island. Credit: HOSSEIN TAHAVORI/AFP/Getty Images)

Sarah Mulkerrins takes part in a 1000 year-old sporting tradition in our global look at the week in sport which includes...Shrovetide Football While many Christians around the mark the beginning of Lent with Pancakes, the residents of Ashbourne in Derby engage in one of football’s strangest contests. The ‘pitch’ is three miles long, with hundreds of players on each side.The Jump - A step too far? World, European and World Cup Gold winning skeleton racer Kristan Bromley shares his thoughts on the UK's celebrity reality TV show.Super Stud Valentine's day isn't just a key date for humans to woo and impress potential partners. It's also a key time of year for Horses as the breeding season gets underway in the Northern Hemisphere. A Marathon Legacy We remember John Disley the co-founder of the London Marathon – a man whose work transformed Marathon running in the UK from a pastime for back-roads and country lanes to a shop-window for the nation’s capital. Disley and co-founder, Chris Brasher, created the modern M

As the Super Bowl prepares for its 50th anniversary, we look at the historical and cultural significance of America's greatest game. Our backdrop is California, venue for some of the most significant moments in the game’s history. Our backing track is the US billboard number one on the day of the Super Bowl. Back to the Start: 1967 January 1967, the LA Coliseum the venue of Super Bowl I in the company of Tom Brown part of the Green Bay Packers team that carried off that first title (and the second for that matter). Tom not only gives a brilliant account of the day itself, but recalls some amazing stories involving him and the legendary Packers coach Vince Lombardi.The Making of Sporting stars 1967 -1978 Starting with “Broadway” Joe Namath we look at some of the most significant names created by the Super Bowl and how they embodied an America divided by pre and post World War Two attitudes.From a Game to an Event: 1979-1993 Jim Steeg, is known as Mr. Super Bowl - he is credited with making the Super Bowl what

Is the greatest danger to the future of some of the world’s most popular sports the potential for brain injury? We investigate if research can be trusted in light of the pressures doctors might feel under if findings adversely affect the standing of sport. Or is it simply enough for athletes to be aware of the risks posed before participating or should some sports be amended or even banned? www.concussioninsport.org The real Blind Side When Carolina Panther’s Michael Oher takes to the field for Super Bowl 50 next Sunday it’ll be the latest episode in his fairy tale career. His life has already been turned a Hollywood blockbuster “The Blind Side”. It earned Sandra Bullock a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Oher’s adopted mother Leigh Anne Tuohy. We hear from the real Leigh Anne, her husband Sean, inspirational high school Coach Hugh Freeze and of course Oher himself… Shoulda Put a Ring on It: One of the quirks of American sport is that instead of being awarded medals for sporting achievement, winners ar

Ashley Giles was an England cricketer playing on the biggest stage of all, contesting an Ashes series in Australia, when the call came from home. His wife, Stine, had been diagnosed with a brain tumour – the size of a cricket ball. A decade ago she had surgery to remove it, and then -- later -- further treatment when a second tumour was discovered. Now, Ashley and Stine have founded the Giles Trust to help the next person that finds them self in the same situation.Dallas with BallsThe new BBC drama The Rack Pack recalls a time when Britain was Snooker Loopy. How the brilliant but dull Steve Davis and the mercurial but flawed Alex Higgins took the sport to the top of television ratings. Steve Davis and his then manager, Barry Hearn, recall the 1980s heyday captured in the film, along with Steve Davis and Barry Hearn, actors Will Merrick and Kevin Bishop.Racing the ClockBritish sprinter Charles Eugster breaking records at 95, ‘The Golden Bolt’ doing likewise in Japan at the age of 105 ... veteran athletes a

We’re in St. Louis as the city’s American football franchise packs up and moves to Los Angeles. We speak to one fan looking at making a 3000 mile round trip just to watch home games!Real Life Action Man: We hear from Tony Schiena the former undefeated karate world champion turned Hollywood action man who in his spare time fights for the rights of the victims of sex trafficking.Baseball Pioneer: We remember the life and career of baseball’s Monte Irvin who alongside Jackie Robinson changed the face of not only the sport, but American society. He passed away this week aged 96.Basketball Inventor: We delve into newly discovered archives to hear from the man who invented basketball over 100 years ago. IAAF: The Future of Athletics: After a week of revelations and soul searching we look at the state of athletics ahead of the Rio Games. We’ll hear from one athlete who is concerned she’ll be lining up against ‘dirty’ competitors at the Olympics in a few months’ time.Sporting Witness In the Alaskan wilderness a notor

Suzy Favor Hamilton had competed in the final of the 1500m at the Sydney Olympics before apparently settling into family life. However it emerged that she'd been working as a high-class escort in Las Vegas. She's been telling Sportshour how she has bipolar disorder, a condition that results in dramatic mood swings and at times contributed to her becoming, as she describes it, 'hypersexual'. Another Historic Newlands Day When Temba Bavuma carved out his own piece of sporting history by becoming the first black African to score a Test century for South Africa, he did it at his home ground, the iconic Newlands in Cape Town. We have been finding out why it should be no surprise, that again, it was the venue for such an important moment in South African sporting history.Flintoff’s Failings Andrew Fintoff talks about his off field antics including his battles with alcohol and depression and how it affected not only his time at the crease but jeopardised his family life.Messing with Messi Ahead of the announcement o

We look back at two of the big sporting events we brought you the show from in 2015Photo: President Obama welcomes the successful USA women's football team after winning the World Cup (L) Credit: Getty Tom Brady on his way to leading the New England Patriots to another Super Bowl victory (R) Credit: Getty

The best of Sportshour in 2015. Sometimes serious, sometimes quirky, always interesting!

Cristiano Ronaldo: Football, the Future and Fatherhood We speak to Cristiano Ronaldo about life off the pitch. He tells us how fatherhood has changed him and he wants more children “so let’s find the right woman” He also hints at the prospect of playing in America one day.Roger Federer: I’ve Missed My Best Chance Roger Federer tells Caroline Rigby that he has “missed his best chance” of gold in the singles at the Olympics, the world of tennis is “not all about Novak Djokovic”. He also says Stefan Edberg will continue to help him and “give him feedback” despite having parted company as his coach.Open Marriage Tennis player Arina Rodionova will have a busy Saturday. She’s in action as she tries to qualify for the Australian Open in the morning and then gets married in the afternoon! She tells us that even though she hopes to be back on court on Sunday it won’t stop her enjoying the champagne as she weds Aussie Rules footballer Ty Vickery.The Armless Archer Paralympian Matt Stuzmann tells us about the new archer