'I'm still a seeker'

Andy Searles is chaplain at Major League Soccer side Orlando City in Florida, United States. In part one of our interview with him, he compared his role as chaplain with others at the club saying: “It’s the coach’s or the manager’s job to help the players win on the field and it’s my job to help the players win off the field.”

As well as Bible Studies for the players and a chapel service before each game, Andy also offers pastoral care and some counselling services. As a pastor of a church north of Orlando, he sees his work with Orlando City as an extension of his church ministry, which leads us to ask, in the second part of our interview, about his own journey to faith.

“I became a follower of Christ when I was 15 years old. I was brought up in the church. My Dad, who I love dearly, was a minister but the church didn’t have too much attraction to me.”

He goes on to paint an all-too-familiar picture of church in the UK with ageing congregations, concluding, “I found church kind of boring.” But attending church should not be confused with developing a personal relationship with the living God.

“One day I just heard this man – Jesus – talked about in a way that never clicked with me as it did in that moment, and I realised that I had to make a decision. If the claims of Christ were true, if he really loved me, if he really forgave me, if he really had a plan for me then this wasn’t something that could be ignored. So I said: ‘OK God, let me delve a little it deeper. Let’s see what this means. If you’re real, show yourself to me.’ And in some amazing ways he did.”

“I’m still a seeker. I’m still trying to discover more and more of him. I’m in my early 40s now and there is not a day that has passed where I haven’t experienced the presence and the peace and the power of God in my life. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

Listen to more of Andy’s interview, when he also answers the question – Is God interested in football?

Listen to part one of the interview.

No glory without hard work

Müller International Grand Prix at the Birmingham Barclays Indoor Arena (Credit: British Athletics/Getty Images).

If ever an athletics event came alive surely this Müller International Grand Prix at the Birmingham Barclays Indoor Arena did. Forty eight Personal Bests and fourteen National Records were set in a four-hour period on Saturday 18th. February.

We were not disappointed as the expected fireworks in both the Women's 1000m and the Men's 5000 metres materialised.

Laura Muir from Scotland in the 1000 metres was paced over 800 metres by Jenny Meadows and went on to gain her European and National Record of 2:31.93 minutes – only one second away from the World Record.

Olympic 5000 & 10000 metres Champion Sir Mo Farah (Credit: British Athletics/Getty Images).

Not to be outdone, Sir Mo Farah, after a disappointing Edinburgh cross-country six weeks earlier, had a 5000 metres race on his hand with the Bahrainian Albert Rop hounding Mo to the line in a National Record time of 13:09.16 minutes – a race where the first four obtained National Records for their respective countries.   

Another race which produced twelve Personal Bests was the Women's 3000 metres. Hellen Obiri of Kenya, a consistent middle-distance runner, came good with a National Record of 8:29.41 minutes.

Our appetite for the outdoor season was further whetted by the explosive running of the Jamaican Elaine Thompson, Olympic Champion at both 100 and 200 metres, and who seems to be improving on each outing. She gained her Personal Best and Stadium Record of 6.98 seconds for the 60 metres.

Olympic Long Jump Champion Jeff Henderson (Credit: British Athletics/Getty Images).

There were many other outstanding displays that gave the capacity crowd of 15800 something to shout about and yet each of the athletes I interviewed (including Laura Muir, Sir Mo Farah, Hellen Obiri, Jeff Henderson, Aries Merritt and Godfrey Khotso Mokoena) indicated their efforts and laurels only came about through hard work. Unless they do the hard work and put in the miles and dedicate themselves to the techniques required then they do not achieve their goals.

And even then things don't come easy. Every athlete goes through injury problems. Others struggle with their run-ups. Still some have huge family disappointments. Major health issues disrupt a number and yet they still press on! What determination, perseverance, stick-ability, and some even cry out to God in their situation and He answers!  

Both last week's Planet Sport and this week's programme bring perspectives on the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham:  

Listen to "23 Feb: International Indoor Athletics GP, Birmingham" on Spreaker.

Listen to "02 Mar: Olympic medallist Godfrey Khotso Mokoena & Soccer Chaplain Andy Searles" on Spreaker.

By Norman Brierley

Winning off the field

Orlando City Soccer Club chaplain Andy Searles prays with some of the MLS side's players.

In his role as chaplain at Major League Soccer side, Orlando City, in Florida, United States, Andy Searles confesses that no two days are the same. So what does a chaplain do, and in the big money world of professional football, does having a chaplain really add value to what goes on at a soccer club? Adrian Barnard seeks to find answers in the first part of his interview for Planet Sport.

“I think I would define the primary thing that I do as trying to offer some player care,” is how Andy sees his role.

“That expresses itself in many ways,” he continues. “For some of the faith-based players and those who are followers of Jesus, there’s some pastoral care, we have some Bible studies and we have a chapel service before each game in the locker room. But I also offer some services beyond that, to those who maybe aren’t of faith at this time, or have got issues. I offer some counselling services, some support on really anything they need.”

Andy is a pastor, leading a church in Casselberry, just north of Orlando with his chaplain’s work sitting alongside it. 

“I consider my work with Orlando City as an extension of my ministry in the church and in the community where I serve on a regular basis.”

But in the very commercial of Major League Soccer where there is huge investment and a vast number of people involved in the club, what does a chaplain contribute?

“It’s the coach’s job or the manager’s job to help the players win on the field and it’s my job to help the players win off the field.”

“I hope that I’m able to remind the players and the staff, and even the fans on occasion, that there is a life that is really important and that really matters – outside of the game. I hope that I can remind the players that relationships are important, that their family matters, that one day they won’t be playing soccer and what they do with the rest of their life is crucially important to them.”

“I find myself mentoring a lot and just trying to be an encouraging presence towards the things off the field. You need to remember that a lot of these men are very young and they have a pretty big spotlight on them. They probably have more money in their bank accounts than we do. And while many in the world would say that’s a great thing, to have that fame and the money, and everything that comes with that, I think that the gospel says that those two things can cause a lot of trouble, a lot of temptation. Perhaps my job is to help these guys manage those responsibilities in ways that are beneficial to them and their families and their faith over the long haul.”

Andy grew up in England and continues supporting Ipswich Town FC despite now living in the USA. He speaks from personal experience of how football can take over a life.

“Football was such an integral part of my life growing up and perhaps to my shame, to my sin, soccer became kind of like an idol to me. If we [Ipswich] won, everything was great in my world; if we lost, it wasn’t. One of the things that happened was that I moved to the US and couldn’t keep up with soccer as much, that idol was starved within me. So I now kind of feel that God is allowing me to minister into a fallen idol and it’s great to be engaged with the game again.”

Listen to Part 1 of Adrian’s interview with Andy, here:  

Listen to "16 Feb: Orlando City Soccer Club chaplain, Andy Searles" on Spreaker.

Part two of the interview will feature in the Planet Sport programme 2/3/2017 when Andy shares his own journey to faith and tells us why he’s chaplain at Orlando City, when the role is as an unpaid volunteer.

'High expectations' for Indoor Grand Prix

20-year old Trayvon Bromell will be competing in Birmingham at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix.

Last weekend in Sheffield, British Athletics hosted successful British Indoor Athletics Championships and team trials, with a mixture of new and old faces coming through the represent their country at international level.

This Saturday, athletes from the USA, Europe, Australasia and Africa will meet at the Barclay Arena in Birmingham for the Müller Indoor Grand Prix. Passion for Sport reporter Norman Brierley will be there. He writes:

“In past years we have experienced exceptional competition where national and world indoor records have been set. I remember well the efforts of Sir Mo Farah in 2015 as he broke the Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele’s world 2-mile record in a time of 8 minutes 3.40 seconds.

“The expectations of athletes at these events have been quite challenging. Kevin Craddock a 60 metres American hurdler held on for dear life in the 2016 event, as he sensed he wouldn’t get through his heat but eventually came second in the final in a time of 7.71 seconds. 

“The young 20-year old Trayvon Bromell showed his metal in the 2015 Beijing World Athletics Championships in the 100 metres by taking the Bronze medal behind Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin. Expectations were high for him last year but he was injured in the warm up and could not compete. However, in spite of injuries Trayvon knows his life is in God’s hands. 

“Many Rio Olympic champions and stars are now confirmed to compete alongside some of the best athletes in the world at the state-of-the-art Barclay Arena this weekend.

“Britain’s top female sprinter, Dina Asher-Smith will face the double Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson of Jamaica over 60 metres in what will be a spectacular clash.

“Expectations are high once again as we look forward to an attempt being made at the 1,000 metres British record and possibly the World record. Laura Muir from Scotland is in top form and just last month smashed the British 5,000 metres indoor record by 14 seconds in a new time of 14 minutes 49.13 seconds.”

Don’t miss next week’s Planet Sport programme as we reflect back on what is sure to be a sensational Müller Indoor Grand Prix.

AFCON 2017: David v Goliath All Over Again

For the past three weeks fans of African football have been gripped by the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

There was drama right from the off.  Even before a ball had been kicked the Cameroon team was in disarray after several high-profile players refused to turn out for their national side. When the tournament did get underway there was concern at the poor quality of the playing surfaces and the low crowds, apart from when the hosts, Gabon, were in action.

Planet Sport Football Africa producer Steve Vickers was in Gabon, providing television commentary for the tournament organisers, CAF.  This enabled him to produce the show from the tournament, providing comment and analysis for our listeners from this top African football competition.

Planet Sport Football Africa listeners fully embraced the tournament and engaged with us enthusiastically on social media.  Listeners in The Gambia, which did not reach the finals, put their allegiance behind neighbours Senegal, who were led from the front by Liverpool’s talismanic striker, Sadio Mané.  

There were shocks galore.  Defending champions Ivory Coast, failed to qualify from the Group stage, as did highly-rated Algeria, despite having Leicester City’s 2015/16 PFA Players’ Player of the Year, Riyad Mahrez, in their ranks.  Many observers now tipped Senegal to win but the applecart was upset once again when The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon beat them in a tense penalty shoot-out.

Seven-times winners, Egypt, progressed to the final at the expense of Burkina Faso after another dramatic penalty shoot-out while little-fancied Cameroon joined them after an impressive 2-0 semi-final win against Ghana.  

And so it was that The Indomitable Lions met The Pharoahs in the final in Libreville and it was Cameroon who triumphed, coming from behind to record a 2-1 victory, scoring the winner just two minutes from time.  It was a wonderful story of the underdog overcoming the favourite, a true David v Goliath sporting story.  Afterwards Cameroon’s Belgian coach Hugo Broos said of his squad: “I don’t have 23 players, I have 23 friends.”  He added, “Over the weeks we went from being a squad to becoming a family. It's unbelievable what all the guys did. It is tremendous."

Our listeners thought so too.

“Oh yeah, Cameroon, champions of Africa!  They really deserved it, credit to them,” said Jamba from the Gambia.

And many like Alfred in Malawi agreed it had been a terrific tournament.  “This year’s AFCON was so good since Bukina Faso surprised many and Cameroon’s return to winning the Championship is a great encouragement.”

Planet Sport Football Africa reflects our aim to introduce sports fans to Jesus through media.  During the Cup of Nations our programmes included interviews with Christian players, such as the former Cameroon midfielder, Eyong Enoh, who shared his experiences of playing in the Cup of Nations and spoke eloquently about the difference that Jesus has made in his life. You can listen to that programme here:

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

By Adrian Barnard

Planet Sport Football Africa appeal

My name is Gabriel Ajala and I am a new trustee of Passion for Sport. Born and raised in London to Nigerian parents, I truly believe in what the team is doing in spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ via the means of sport and media. And I am so thankful those who faithfully remember the ministry in prayer and with financial support.

I am an avid follower of sports, especially football. I played for England School boys at Under 15 & Under 17 level, which gave me a fantastic insight into being a professional football player. We toured Hungary, which taught me many things such as the importance of getting together as a team and the discipline footballers have in order to be the best they can be. In truth, my performances could have been better, but the memories and experience was worthwhile. Training at Lilleshall, which was at the time the centre where footballers came to train and stay before an international game, with top coaches and playing against quality opposition, was an experience I would never forget.

Although I didn't manage to make a career in professional football I transferred my skills to gain further knowledge on the business principles of sport. With a degree in Economics & Law, I then embarked upon a Masters in Sports Management & The Business of Football. The African sports market was a main focus of mine and in searching the internet to find relevant content, I came across Planet Sport Football Africa. 

Planet Sport Football Africa is a weekly, 30-minute programme for football fans in and from Africa, and is broadcast on over 50 stations in 14 African countries, as well as heard online. 

The show was like a breath of fresh air, a quality production with insightful content on unique topics, which affect the African sports market and culture, such as juju and the strong "religious" links in society.

After a few months of listening to the show, I applied for a vacancy as a trustee for Passion for Sport and was welcomed to the team a month later. 

Passion for Sport is unique in that it focuses on aspects of sport, both on and off the field, and always seeks to engage with their audience and fans. Sport is such a powerful tool to change an environment and unite people and by using this tool to spread the Good News of Jesus is powerful.

Listen to the latest Planet Sport and Planet Sport Football Africa programmes.

Passion for Sport is entirely dependent on donations from in individuals, churches and trusts. Please, if you are able, make a donation today to support this ministry.

By Gabriel Ajala

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.