Answered prayer for The Gambia

Credit: Pixabay

“Thank you very much Planet Sport. I really appreciate your prayers. I am very grateful about you people.  

“As you know due to this political crisis it is unfortunate that I’m not even enjoying the African Cup of Nations. I’m in my house watching all the games but unfortunately I am watching without any happiness. I am watching with a scare because the situation recently in The Gambia is unpredictable…” (An excerpt from a voice message from a listener to Planet Sport Football Africa in the Gambia.)

Last week, we asked our supporters to join us in prayer for our listeners in The Gambia – about 150 are regularly in touch mostly via WhatApp. The difficult political situation and troops entering the country made many Gambians fearful of what lay ahead. 

On Friday 20th January, we sent a message to each of our WhatsApp contacts in The Gambia, which said: 

“Hi [Name], Just to say on behalf of the Planet Sport Football Africa team our thoughts and prayers are with you and all our friends in The Gambia today. While we are enjoying the AFCON [Africa Cup of Nations] tournament, we are also praying for a peaceful and just resolution to the situation in your country.”

To date (27th January), we have received over 100 responses, including the voice message, a sign of the growing and deepening relationships that we have with these contacts. We are so encouraged to see our communication with listeners develop beyond the programmes, and we are grateful that we could stand with them in prayer.

Thank God that a peaceful resolution to the situation in the country was reached. Below is a selection of messages in chronological order and you can see how they change from concern to relief as negotiations progressed. 

“Thank you so much team Planet Sport for all your concern about the political situation in the Gambia. We hope all our prayers will be answered soon. Once again big thank you to team Planet Sport for their great concern about the crisis in the Gambia.” 

“Thanks for your concern and prayers my dearest Planet Sport.” 

“Your prayers have been answered with the help of God. We have a peaceful transfer of power without no war.” 

Listen to this week's Planet Sport Football Africa:

Listen to "27 Jan: AFCON 2017, Senegal's Mame Biram Diouf & Former Cameroon star Enoh Eyong" on Spreaker.

Donate to Planet Sport Football Africa, here.

Sammy Kuffour: 'God has been amazing to me'

"I carried a TV on my head, with my Mum. We went to some place and give the TV to somebody and get the money to buy football shoes."

Raised in Kumasi, Ghana, the youngest child of a single parent family with three older sisters, Samuel Kuffour had humble beginnings where money was tight. During his school days, Sammy shined shoes to bring in some money.

"As a boy I would have to carry my shine box and go house to house and shine people's shoes before I go to school. Some of the people that I shine their shoes, we all go to the same school, and also the same class."

As the only boy in the family, his sisters especially hoped that he would become a lawyer or a doctor, but school wasn't his first priority.

"I didn't have any feeling going to school. I wanted to go out there on the street and play football."

His mother's belief in his footballing ability led her not only to defend his choices to his sisters, but also to lying about the whereabouts of the TV, saying it was at the repairers. Sammy remembers:

"After that, my Mum tell all the area neighbours, 'Oh today Samuel will score a goal.' God is so good – I scored a goal for Ghana and we get the money. So I have to buy another TV, a bigger one, to replace what we sold."

Becoming a successful footballer meant that Samuel could put the tough days behind him but not everything was forgotten as he was brought up in a Christian home and continues in his faith, attributing his success to God.

"God has been amazing to me. If I said, 'he hasn't done it' then I don't know what I'm talking about. He has done amazing things for me."   

Signing for Bayern Munich and playing for Ghana didn't mean that it was all plain sailing however. There were losses – both personal and professional. 

The most notable professional loss was against Manchester United in the 1999 UEFA Champions League final, when Man United produced a stunning late comeback, causing heartbreak for Bayern Munich. But two years later Bayern Munich won the UEFA Champions League against Valencia on penalties.

Kuffour looks back on the 1999 loss, saying: "Everything has its own time. It wasn't our day. It would be in the eyes of the people but not in the eyes of the Lord. God knows better than we do. I was crying. I was hurt. But he didn’t hesitate anything from me. Exactly two years after, I had my hands on the trophy. So it tells you that there is a time and a season."

Personal loss struck in 2003 with the tragic death of Kuffour's young daughter, Godiva, who drowned in the family swimming pool. Kuffour had just returned to Bayern Munich when the call came through and he flew back to the family home in Ghana. 

"I was crying. I was asking questions to God. I asked God so many questions. 'Why me?' I asked God, 'Why me, that my daughter has to die?' 'Why me, God, why me?' I was crying, asking God questions but I was asking myself a question, 'why not you?'… Look at you, look at your career, look at what you have achieved in your life, look at the properties you have, look at what you have achieved. Why not you?"

Kuffour retired from football in 2009 and is now a football pundit with TV channel SuperSport in South Africa. His two sons, born after Godiva's death, are following in their father's footballing footsteps.

"These children are really doing amazing. They are also footballers now... And you know for me, if I see them playing, I always say to God, 'Glory to God'. Because the children I never expected to get them and God provided them to me and I know they will be better than me in the future."

Listen to a three-part interview with Sammy talking about his football and faith on Planet Sport Football Africa, from our archive programmes dated 4th 11th and 18th November 2016.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons, author Paulblank

Samuel Kuffour career:

• Played for Bayern Munich in Germany for 11 seasons, making 175 appearances.

• Won UEFA Champions League final in 2001

• Was runner-up to Manchester United in UEFA Champions League final in 1999

• Won BBC African Footballer of the Year award in 2001

• Made 59 appearance for Ghana's Senior team

• Is the youngest Olympic football medallist of all time, winning bronze at the 1992 Olympics at the age of just 15.

AFCON 2017 Kicks Off

Credit: Pixabay

Africa’s biggest national football competition, the Africa Cup of Nations, or AFCON, gets underway in Gabon on Saturday as the hosts meet Guinea-Bissau at 5pm local time in the capital, Libreville.

This is the 31st edition of the tournament that happens every two years and Ivory Coast will be defending the title they won two years ago in Equatorial Guinea.

Players seen regularly in the English Premier League will be representing their countries at AFCON. Liverpool striker Sadio Mané will be playing for the Teranga Lions of Senegal, the Desert Foxes of Algeria are pinning their hopes on influential Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez and Crystal Palace winger Wilfrid Zaha is looking to make an impact for The Elephants of the Ivory Coast.

Political activists in Gabon protesting at the outcome of last August’s presidential election have called for local fans to boycott the AFCON but in a country where football is followed passionately the call is likely to receive little support.

All things to all men

The Apostle Paul’s well-known words to the church at Corinth in 1 Corinthians 9, 19-23 tell us how he became “all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some.” Later in the same epistle he encourages his readers to “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor 11;1).

Planet Sport Football Africa programme producer Steve Vickers will be reporting from AFCON 2017 in Gabon.

Passion for Sport will be bringing news, stories and interviews from AFCON to sports fans in Africa through our weekly radio programme Planet Sport Football Africa and social media. We come alongside listeners to inform and share their passion for football. This provides opportunities to share, for example, testimonies of footballers who are both passionate about their sport and committed in their faith as followers of Jesus Christ. Through social media we build relationships and look for opportunities to introduce Jesus to our conversations. Jesus talked to people from an agricultural community about a farmer sowing his seed.  He called the fishermen Peter and Andrew saying he would make them “fishers of men”. At Passion for Sport we seek to be imitators of Christ as we follow his example and speak to sports fans in a language they can understand.

We conducted a poll among Planet Sport Football Africa listeners to find out which team they thought would win AFCON 2017. Here are the top four predictions:

Senegal (Teranga Lions), 43% of the vote

Ghana (Black Stars), 16%

Algeria (Desert Foxes), 14%

Ivory Coast (The Elephants), 11%

The tournament runs for three weeks from 14 January with the final in Libreville on 5 February.

By Adrian Barnard

Looking Forward to 2017

Credit: Unsplash

Passion for Sport exists to introduce sports fans to Jesus through media and in 2017 we’re looking forward to bringing sports fans the news, stories and experiences from many of the top sporting events. With many fans looking for different angles on the events our unique Christian perspective enables us to reach fans who may have little or no understanding of the good news of the Gospel and the peace, joy and fulfilment that following Jesus brings.

In January football fans across Africa will be eagerly following the Africa Cup of Nations which takes place from 14 January to the 5th of February. In England Premier League teams will be losing African players to AFCON for up to six weeks for training, warm-up matches and the competition itself.  Sixteen teams are taking part including the hosts Gabon and the 2015 defending champions, Ivory Coast.  Planet Sport Football Africa producer, Steve Vickers, will be commentating on matches for the host broadcaster and in between recording interviews and producing our weekly programme. This is a great opportunity for us to produce the programme from the heart of the AFCON tournament and engage with fans across the continent who are following the competition.

February sees us at the Indoor Athletics Grand Prix in Birmingham. Reporter Norman Brierley will be interviewing athletes for our other weekly programme, Planet Sport. As in past years we will be hoping to speak to athletes who are committed followers of Jesus, to share their stories with Planet Sport listeners.

In May the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series comes to Europe.  Following the successful introduction of Rugby Sevens to the Olympic Games in Rio worldwide interest in the sport is at an all-time high.  The Series takes in ten cities including Cape Town, Wellington and Hong Kong before finishing in Paris and London.  We are planning to attend at least one of the two European events to report on the action and interview some of the players on the circuit who are committed followers of Jesus.

Next we’ll be at two major athletics events in London, the IPC Athletics World Championships for para-athletes (14-23 July) and the IAAF World Championships (4-13 August). These are the biggest events on the athletics calendar outside the Olympics and Paralympics and we’re looking forward to bringing Planet Sport listeners the stories and interviews from the iconic Olympic Stadium where fans and athletes alike will recall the electric atmosphere from the amazing Olympics in 2012.

You can be part of our mission to introduce sports fans to Jesus through media in 2017. Pray for increasing opportunities to share the good news of Jesus through media and will you also consider making a gift and becoming one of our vital financial partners?

By Adrian Barnard, CEO

Why I work for Passion for Sport...

By Tom Ellis

From an early age I've loved both playing and watching sport. From kick-arounds in the park after school, to supporting from the terraces on a Saturday afternoon, it took up a lot of my childhood. As I grew older, I started to recognise the importance of it in my life and in the lives of those around me. Yes, it was something that I enjoyed and could do, but it was more than that. 

Many of us will be aware of the basic physical, psychological and social benefits of sport, and over the years I've been fortunate enough to see the impact of sport in certain communities and on lives of individuals. As someone who has been involved in sports journalism and sport development projects for a while now, I've seen what it means for people to be able to come together through a shared passion. I love the phrase often associated with sport, a level playing field, and the idea that when people of different backgrounds, faiths, races, genders come together to play, and to play something they love, any differences are put aside; all are equal. We see this in local youth projects and at big events such as the Olympics. The coming together of people, united through sport, be it in the name of competition or just enjoyment, is incredibly moving and has the power break down barriers in a way that few other things can. 

I believe sport has the power to bring about change. I'm passionate about that. But I also believe that, ultimately, true transformation and true freedom comes through knowing the love of Jesus. What a great combination. At Passion for Sport we aim to use media to introduce sports fans to Jesus. We do this by telling stories and by allowing sportspeople to tell their testimony, their story, so that others might be inspired, encouraged and challenged, by their passion for sport, but more importantly, their passion for Jesus. I work for Passion for Sport because I believe in the power of sport, I believe in the power of story-telling and I believe in the power of Jesus.

2016 Review of the Year

The Destination Rio team on Copacabana beach!

“Sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things.”  Psalm 98; 1

What a brilliant year of sport it’s been! The Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio captivated us with some thrilling team and individual performances; Leicester City surprised everyone by winning the Premier League title; and in Formula One Nico Rosberg held off a late surge from Lewis Hamilton to win his first title and then promptly retired. In tennis, Andy Murray capped a fine 2016 winning the Wimbledon and Olympic titles and ending the year as the top ranked player in men’s tennis.

It’s been a terrific year too for Passion for Sport as we seek to introduce sports fans to Jesus through media. The reporting highlight was at the Olympic Games in Rio where we served 1600 radio stations in English and Spanish and spoke to several top athletes about their sport and faith. 

Thank you for praying for new outlets for our weekly radio programmes Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa. We’ve seen 25% growth in the number of stations broadcasting the shows this year. Over 70 stations now carry the programmes with new broadcast partners in Cameroon, Ghana and Uganda. We are also attracting a growing audience online and through our apps which added together means that we can now reach more sports fans than ever before with the good news of Jesus.

And this growing audience is engaging with us. Every week up to 100 listeners to Planet Sport Football Africa contact us through social media and WhatsApp, keen to be part of the programme. Please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit will work in these listeners’ lives, drawing them to the Saviour.

This week’s Planet Sport show features the first part of our 2016 Review of the Year. In it Planet Sport reporter Stuart Weir chooses his three highlights of the year. I won’t give too much away but you can listen to the show here. To whet your appetite we hear from United States athlete Kendra Harrison who set a new world record in the women’s 100 metres hurdles, as she talks about her relationship with Jesus and the impact that her faith has on her life.

In the run-up to Christmas I’ve been meditating on the book of Isaiah and the prophecies about the coming Saviour, Jesus. This time I’ve been reading the well-known passages in Eugene Peterson’s accessible translation, The Message. In chapter 54, verses 2-3 we read these words:

“Clear lots of ground for your tents! Make your tents large. Spread out! Think big! Use plenty of rope, drive the tent pegs deep. You’re going to need lots of elbow room for your growing family.”

The Lord has given us growth in 2016. We believe there is more to come. Are these words written two-and-a-half thousand years ago also appropriate for Passion for Sport as we stand on the threshold of a new year?

2016 has been a great year but we believe the best is yet to come. Will you consider making a gift and help us to introduce sports fans to Jesus through media?

Adrian Barnard, CEO

Behind the scenes – systems that keep us going

Like many organisations Passion for Sport relies on an increasing number of software systems to achieve its desired objectives.

This is particularly true because we are a media organisation and our activities are almost completely internet based. From programme production, delivery and distribution to fundraising and supporter communication almost everything we do is affected by the digital revolution which is all around us.

The internet has become the preferred way of consuming information and listening to audio and video programmes. Even many of the radio stations we deliver our programmes to have websites and mobile phone apps that let you listen to their stations output as an alternative to receiving traditional airborne radio signals captured by a transistor radio.

This new world is also a constantly changing one. New software and systems are produced every day and updated with extra features and capabilities all the time. We have to do our best to sift through all of these to identify those which can help us and avoid those that distract or fail to deliver.

Listeners to our programmes want the simplest and easiest ways of hearing us and unlike traditional broadcasting they would like to communicate back to us to comment on what they hear and express their opinions.

These are powerful tools which provide access to our life changing message from almost anywhere on the planet. The challenge is to enhance them in ways which achieve our goal of introducing sports fans to Jesus.

Peter Ellis, Operations Manager

Praying to win?

Planet Sport Football Africa presenter Steve Vickers (left) in conversation with football analyst Solomon Ashoms (right).

“It’s necessary to pray before anything you do, not just a football match. But at times, the outcome of what you prayed for doesn’t reflect what you asked God.”

“Football is not part of spiritual events, as such God has nothing to do with prayer at a football match.”

Just a couple of responses from listeners to Planet Sport Football Africa, who heard an interview with the 1997 African Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba in one of the programmes. In the interview, Ikpeba said that he always prayed before matches but that the prayers may not actually affect the result of the game, leading to an interesting conversation between programme presenter Steve Vickers and regular football analyst Solomon Ashoms.

This programme is just one example of how sport opens a door to discuss spiritual things and enter into online conversations with listeners.

You can listen to the programme here: 

Listen to "30 Sep: Nigeria's Victor Ikpeba and Does Prayer Before a Match Help?" on Spreaker.

Passion for Sport and the local church

My first adventure with sport and the Church was at the 1995 All Africa Games (AAG) in Harare, Zimbabwe. The AAG is an event that takes place every four years bringing together Africa's elite sportsmen and women. I was in broadcasting already and living and working in Harare in the centre of Zimbabwe with the opportunity to train Christians how to use radio to communicate the Gospel throughout the Zimbabwe Broadcasting Company FM network.

We gathered together several people and organisations, some of whom had radio experience, to report, interview, and produce features in different languages about Africa's sport and interesting aspects about the capital of Zimbabwe, Harare.

The 1995 All Africa Games reporting team.

Listeners were enthused about the stories they heard from the very athletes they admired. Many would phone into the radio stations commenting on what was being broadcast. 

The training experiment went well. We all learnt much about how to connect with the sports fan, sharing the athletes’ faith in Jesus in a non-threatening and interesting way. The local church got involved in an area where they had common ground.

Today, 21 years later, I'm still involved interviewing sportsmen and women about their lives, what makes them tick, the challenges and joys of their lives and their relationship with Jesus. So, when I have the opportunity to share about our work with a church or a small group, I pick on one of the sports interviews found on our website where the sports personality has 'something important to say' and let him/her share it in person. 

The other day I was racking my brain on how to engage a Sunday evening service group in an inner London church in the Passion for Sport work when the story of a Congo-Brazzaville Christian footballer came to mind. The national team were trying to force him to go along with the rest of the team in putting their trust in a fetish by touching it for a favourable outcome before an international game. He refused saying that his trust was in God alone even though his fellow players were pressurising him. He did play in the match and took the honours at the end of being “Man of the Match”. 

This story which we all heard during the evening was used to challenge the group on what and whom they put their trust and faith in?  Is it still in God when the pressure to conform differently is heavy upon us?

There are many ways in which we can engage our churches in supporting this ministry of introducing the sports fan to Jesus. Some ideas of which can be found in our Resources section of this website. We have testimonies you can playback, sports quizzes of varying difficulty you can use, podcasts you can play, previous and current weekly radio programmes your group could listen to and newsletters and brochures you can use. If planned well ahead, one or more of the Passion for Sport team could come and work with you in running an entertaining sports afternoon or evening.  

By Norman Brierley

Planet Sport in the Caribbean!

(Photo by Corinna Halloran / Team SCA / Volvo Ocean Race via Getty Images)

Every week, fans of our long-running radio programme Planet Sport can tune in to hear the show on any one of 70 radio stations in 20 countries around the world. They can also listen online at www.planetsport.tv and via the free Planet Sport app.

On radio, the show is broadcast in Australia, Ireland, the UK and a dozen or so countries in Africa.

And, Planet Sport is also broadcast on three stations in the Caribbean.

GNFM 96.3 is situated in St George’s, the capital of Grenada, an island at the southern end of the Lesser Antilles. Grenada is slightly smaller than the Isle of Wight with a population of 110,000.  Broadcast time: 11:30 Saturday;

Radio Maranatha 100.3 FM is based on the small island of Saint Martin in the French West Indies.  The island is just a little larger than Guernsey and despite its small size is split into two territories with French and Dutch governance. The total population is about 80,000.  Radio Maranatha went on air in 1994 and today the station reaches across French and Dutch Saint Martin and the islands of the Eastern Caribbean through radio and internet broadcasting. Broadcast time: 07:00 Friday;

Voice of Life ZGBC Radio is situated in the Commonwealth of Dominica, an island about 1.5 times the size of the Isle of Man and part of the Windward Islands. The station reaches the South Eastern Caribbean across a network of frequencies.

This week’s Planet Sport show considers whether Twenty20 cricket will be adopted as an Olympic sport and hears from former South African women’s international footballer Sdu Mthethwa (left talking to Planet Sport reporter Tom Ellis) about her pastoral role among elite athletes, sharing her faith and helping them to cope with the high pressure of competition.

We give thanks for these three stations broadcasting Planet Sport in the Caribbean and pray that listeners will be drawn to Christ through the programmes.

By Adrian Barnard

Olympian Tiidrek Nurme on a new love and a new life

In 2008, Tiidrek Nurme competed in the 1500m at the Beijing Olympics and earlier this year he represented Estonia in the marathon at the Games in Rio. Speaking to Planet Sport reporter Norman Brierley, he discusses his early life and reveals how his things changed gradually but clearly for the better after he became a follower of Jesus Christ.

In a two part interview, spread across two programmes, the Estonian tells his story about his life, running and faith, from being jailed at the age of just 15 for criminal activities to rediscovering his love for running and becoming a double Olympian.

“Today I can say that if I really want to stay in Jesus I have to pray and I have to focus on him.  And we know those things that we need. We need the Bible, we need fellowship with other Christians. So like the Bible says, it’s a support and if I read that I take it seriously, I believe in that. And if I take the word, I stand on the word and if I find some kind of other thoughts in my head which are not from Jesus then I take the word, I say in Jesus’ name I believe that one.” Tiidrek Nurme.

You can listen to his story, featured on our Planet Sport programmes below:

Listen to "27 Oct: Tiidrek Nurme, Estonian 1500m record holder and double Olympian" on Spreaker.

Listen to "03 Nov: Tiidrek Nurme, Estonian Double Olympian, Part 2" on Spreaker.

Shining a Light on Refugees

Refugees now living in Rio support the Refugee Olympic Team competing at the Games.

At this year’s Olympic Games, for the first time, a group of refugees were selected to compete under the Olympic flag, highlighting the issue of refugees and displaced people. The team consisted of ten competing athletes with Tegla Loroupe as the Chef de Mission or leader.

Loroupe, from Kenya, is the former women’s world marathon record holder, whose motivation for helping refugees comes from her Christian faith, saying, “I am a Christian and I have seen the power of God with me, giving me strength…”

Speaking to her in Rio, Passion for Sport reporter Norman Brierley discovered she had her own experience of losing members of her family through conflict in Africa. Since then she’s established the Tegla Loroupe Peace Foundation to promote conflict resolution, peace building and the reduction of human rights violations.

When asked about her work for peace, Loroupe explained, “You can help and make a difference for one person, to change that one person will make a difference to other people. It is something special. It shows solidarity and humanity.”

Listen to our Planet Sport programme, featuring the interview with Tegla Loroupe, here:

Listen to "13 Oct: South African Sprinter Carina Horn & Tegla Loroupe's Foundation for Peace" on Spreaker.

Whilst the Refugee Olympic Team didn’t win any medals in Rio, they were certainly an inspiration to many as Passion for Sport reporter Tom Ellis found out when he spoke with some refugees now living in Rio as they watched the team compete. 

This web piece was taken form an article in our recent newsletter which you can find here.

Two days in Kent for CRE 2016

On 12th and 13th October Passion for Sport had a stand at the South East Christian Resources Exhibition in Maidstone, Kent. This was a great opportunity for us to speak to potential supporters face to face and to explain our ministry to those who may not have heard of us.

We were able to provide visitors with first-hand feedback from our Destination Rio Project and talk to them about the impact of our programmes on the listeners to our weekly radio shows Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa. We also ran a short, fun quiz for those who came to the stand designed to encourage them to find out more about us.

The exhibition brings together a multitude of different Christian activities providing resources and information to the wider church. As well as the exhibitor stands there are seminars, live music and the ever popular puppet demonstrations.  

It is always encouraging to see the wide range of activities represented at these events as Christians use all sorts of ways to engage with people inside and outside the church.

The Christian Resources Exhibitions have been run by the Bible Society for the last 11 years but this is coming to an end and it is hoped that a new owner will take on this role in the near future. 

If you were at the event and came to our stand we hope you found it useful and informative. The resources section of this website has a growing amount of downloadable material designed to help you use sport as a ministry tool in your own church or small group environment. Feel free to download these resources or contact us if you think we may be able to help you in any way.

Sport as a vehicle for sharing the Gospel in Africa

By Norman Brierley, Africa Development Manager

Africa Development Manager, Norman Brierley.

The early years of my childhood were spent in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa and one of my earliest memories was that of regularly kicking a blown-up pig’s bladder around the mango trees with Balanta youngsters. This is the case with many children in Africa today.

The great Ethiopian long distance runner Haile Gebrselassie said of his school days when he had to run 10kms each day to school, “in the rainy season, sometimes to get to the first lesson we had to run really quick, because we had to cross the river to school and we'd have to go up and down the bank to find a place to cross because there was no bridge.” That was the early training for his two Olympic and four World Championship gold medals won in later years!

The fun and release of energy does not die away as you get older. South Africa's first black head of state Nelson Mandela realised that with sport much could be achieved when he said, “Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers. It laughs in the face of all kinds of discrimination.”

Even though the participation and following of sport varies throughout the continent, football is undoubtedly the most popular. Whether in shack, home, hotel or cafe, youngsters and adults are found glued to football on television and invariably they are watching football being played many thousands of miles away in the European leagues.

Following African sportsmen and women such as Samuel Eto'o and Didier Drogba from football, sisters Tirunesh and Genzebe Dibaba in athletics, or AB de Villiers and Kagiso Rabada in cricket is just the tip of the iceberg in hero worship. Anything they wear, say or do has detailed attention from African sports fans.

As the roads of Rome carried the Christian Gospel in the first century so sport is a major means of carrying it today. This is the way to get to the heart of a person – share the common ground we have with them. What are they interested in? What are they normally involved in? Getting alongside the sports fan and enabling their hero to share the Good News.

We do this through our two weekly programmes: Planet Sport, a multi-sport international programme and Planet Sport Football Africa, about Africans in football both on the African continent and playing in the European football leagues. Many of the elite sportsmen and women participating in the programmes share about their faith in Jesus Christ and their life experiences. Forty radio stations in Africa air our programmes weekly with many listeners tuning in on our websites and through the dedicated apps. We receive daily comment regarding the content of the programmes over WhatsApp and social media.

Will you pray for and support this ministry? Listen online at www.planetsport.tv and www.planetsportfootballafrica.com.

Looking back with thankfulness

On the afternoon of Saturday 1st October a small group of Passion for Sport trustees, staff and supporters met in Worthing, West Sussex to look back on the past year and thank God for his faithfulness and provision. 

The occasion was our Annual General Meeting - a legal necessity for UK registered companies and charities. It includes items such as the appointment of the Chair of Trustees, the Chairman’s Report for the Year and the presentation of the audited accounts. OK, not riveting stuff perhaps, but nevertheless a legal requirement and, importantly, an opportunity to look back on the past year with thankfulness to God. 

Among the key points that afternoon we said farewell to Phil Dominy who retired after serving on the Board for eight years, five of which as Chair. Mike Flynn (right) was reappointed as the current Chair and when the accounts were presented we gave thanks that the books had balanced for another year. 

Coming up to the present time Norman Brierley (left) shared his reflections on our Destination Rio project at the recent Olympic Games. With committed, praying supporters present, Norman shared how specific prayer points had been answered for the team’s accommodation, travel, safety and, in particular, for the interviews they had been able to record with Olympic athletes. 

Our time ended in prayer as we gathered in small groups to thank God for his care, direction and provision and commit ourselves to Him afresh for the task ahead.   

Afterwards several of our supporters mentioned that they pray daily for Passion for Sport. We are both humbled and delighted to know we have such committed friends praying for the team and the ministry every day. They are a vital, integral part of the Passion for Sport team. Will you consider joining them? 

Sign up here for our regular email bulletin with prayer points: 

Looking back on Rio – highlights and achievements

Now the dust has settled and the Rio 2016 Olympics are over, it’s good to look back and to reflect on what Passion for Sport achieved during this incredible sporting event.

Our aim was to provide high quality audio content for our two radio programmes, Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa, share that with our radio station partners around the world and to continue building our online audiences of our websites and social media pages.

We felt it was vitally important to attend this event and report back first-hand what it is like to be in the host city for the Olympic Games. The atmosphere is amazing and we wanted to bring a sense of that to our Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa listeners. Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms allow us to bring another dimension to this by using video and interactive comments fed back by those who follow us and get involved.

We interviewed Christian athletes and they told their stories to our listeners demonstrating that the Christian life is real and relevant to people in what is a tough environment to maintain your faith and Christian witness. The Australian swimmer Dan Smith (right) is one example of an athlete who despite his battle with drug addiction and crime has overcome his demons to perform at the Olympics. You can hear the full story here.

With our relatively small team of five media professionals and limited budget we are very happy with the amount we achieved and as technology continues to improve it allows us to do more with less equipment and technical resources. Mobile smart phones and city wide internet access meant we could have stories and pictures on the internet as soon as they were produced.

Feedback from our radio station partners and directly from listeners has been positive and encouraging and our hope is that we can build on that and to continue to grow on the success of our Destination Rio project.

107.8 Life FM, Adelaide, Australia: “Congrats on a great event and we really appreciated the coverage you could provide to us. We really used it as a means of “these are the stories you won’t hear on mainstream media” utilizing the testimonies, outreach stories etc. It really helped bring another perspective of the games whilst still providing the atmosphere of Rio.” Scott Curtis, Content Director

Premier Christian Radio, UK: “I’d say your content - in terms of how we’ve been able to use it – has been the best yet. I thought the interviews/testimonies were really strong and we were able to spread these across the different shows on PCR (my highlight was our breakfast team getting a bit too excited about the 1500m just because they’d played out the Asbel Kiprop interview out earlier in the day!) Marcus Jones, Group Head of News

89.9 Light FM, Melbourne, Australia: “We used the Dan Smith interview and it was simply excellent! I didn't edit out anything - used it in its entirety! It was info rich enough on the sport - but not so much that listeners who aren't complete sports geeks would get bored. Plus it was info rich on Daniel's story - perfect for our station and listeners. Thanks once again to you and your team - it meant that the message of hope was broadcast in a relevant and engaging way." Clayton Bjelan, Content Director

Cape Pulpit 729 AM, Western Cape, South Africa: “The service you provided was impeccable! We are all extremely grateful to have been able to broadcast that fantastic and current content to our listeners. Those very powerful stories have and will do wonders in the lives and souls of our listeners and absolutely glorify the Father.” Gavin Cook, presenter

Bowling for Broadcasts

After the successful launch of the Passion for Sport National Ten Pin Bowling Competition last year, it’s back for a second time this October. 

Last year’s highest individual score was 154 and the highest team score was 609. 

Can you do better?

This October join in the National Ten Pin Bowling Competition have a great night out with your Men’s group, Home group, Youth group… whatever and raise money for Passion for Sport.

Through sponsorship or donations you can help fund our two weekly programmes Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa. Every £4 raised will enable listeners to one of our partner stations to hear 15 minutes of one of programmes.

That’s £16 for one hour.

A small amount will go a long way, so find out how you can get involved – watch the video and find out more.

Serving Christian Media from the Olympic Games in Rio

What was your favourite moment from the recent Olympic Games in Rio?  Perhaps it was Usain Bolt achieving the ‘triple triple’, winning gold in the 100m, 200m and 4-by-100m relay?  Or maybe it was Britain’s Mo Farah successfully defending his 5,000m and 10,000m titles?  Or how about the moment track cyclist Laura Trott ran to embrace her fiancé Jason Kenny immediately after he won the keirin, bringing their combined gold medal haul over two Olympics to ten?

For me it was too hard to choose as there were so many exhilarating sporting highlights and heart-warming human stories.  And hats off to Rio.  After prior concerns about security and the Brazilian economy, the Wonderful City delivered a Games to remember, full of passion and vibrant celebration.

The prime aim of Passion for Sport’s team of media producers in Rio was to record content for our two weekly radio programmes, Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa, designed to help introduce sports fans to Jesus.

We were also keen to share the interviews, features and athlete testimonies with Christian media agencies around the world, to give them the widest possible reach.  In the event Passion for Sport’s English language radio service was heard on over 800 radio stations worldwide.  Stories were also picked up by online services and Christian newspapers.  Popular items included our interviews with Australian Dan Smith, who told how Jesus rescued him from a life of drug and alcohol dependence and crime to become an Olympic swimmer and British bronze medallist boxer, Joshua Buatsi along with a feature on the Refugee Olympic Team.

Tom Ellis interviews Joshua Buatsi

It is great to be able share feedback from our media partners for your interest and encouragement:

“I’d say your content has been the best yet.  The interviews and testimonies were really strong.” Premier Christian Radio, UK

“The service you provided was impeccable!  Those very powerful stories will do wonders in the lives and souls of our listeners and absolutely glorify the Father.”  Cape Pulpit 729 AM, Western Cape, South Africa

Tom Ellis interviews Dan Smith

“We used the Dan Smith interview and it was simply excellent!  Thanks once again to you and your team - it meant that the message of hope was broadcast in a relevant and engaging way."  89.9 Light FM, Melbourne, Australia

“Passion for Sport provided just what we were looking for from the Rio Games: concise, relevant, focused interviews and reports, giving Christian athletes the chance to speak about their experience and the difference their faith makes in the cauldron of high pressure performance. There’s no one else we could get this from – their team did a great job!”  Inspire Magazine online

“Your athlete testimony extended interviews have been massively helpful for us.”  Challenge Newspaper, Australia

As we heard again when we interviewed Dan Smith in Rio, God is still in the business of changing lives.  That’s why we’re so passionate about introducing sports fans to Jesus.  You can help us today by making a gift here and by praying that the sports fans we meet through media will become committed followers of Jesus and in time tell others about the love and mercy of God themselves.

Adrian Barnard

Looking forward to Tokyo

It is hard to say with certainty (no one can predict the future), but after spending some time down at the Tokyo 2020 Japan House in Rio we got a flavour of some of the potential vibes of the city.

The one thing I can say for sure – and I know this is not exactly earth shattering stuff – but Tokyo 2020 will be different to the Rio games in every way.

Looking around the exhibition spaces at Japan House it was obvious the kind of atmosphere they are beginning to promote.

Rio has been based around those typical Brazilian characteristics: a sense of fun, passion, excitement and a bit of flying by the seat of your pants as well.

I got the impression Tokyo was already pitching its tent in an entirely different place. High-end technology, renewable energy and always trying to be on the cusp of something new.

In their “brand” booklet, it states: “Tokyo, find Japan’s unchanging traditions. Its unique culture ... pleasant days created by cutting-edge technology. Today Tokyo continues to revolutionise everything.”

Now of course this is marketing jargon but you get a clear sense of the change of direction Tokyo is heading in.

Rio, 'the marvellous city', has been a joy. I am hoping I will be saying a similar thing about Tokyo in four years time.

By Andy Bloss (article) and Tom Ellis (audio)

Planet Sport: A Legacy for Rio?

As the 2016 Games comes to and end and Rio hands over the Olympic baton to Tokyo we investigate the legacy that has been left for the Brazilian city.  Planet Sport reporters Tom Ellis and Andy Bloss talk to residents of Curicica, a neighbourhood in Rio, where homes were demolished to make way for the new Bus Rapid Transport route providing a fast transport system across the city. We hear from the Mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, who believes the cost of the Games provides great value and ongoing benefits for the people of Rio. And Tom Ellis looks back on the sporting action from the 2016 Olympics and shares his personal highlights.