Greetings again, it’s that time of year to reflect on our Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments in 2024. You can either read the stories and watch the videos, or listen to the Top 10 recorded with BBC Radio London here. Thanks to Phil Parry, BBC Radio London Sports Show anchor man.
As in previous years we’ll start with 10th best story and work our way down to the number 1 moment. Incidentally, this is the 10th year that we’ve recorded these stories with BBC Radio London, so we now have 100 x 1 minute sportsmanship stories from all over the world across all sports.
Let’s get down to 2024 moments. In 10th place we have a rugby story. With the 6 Nations Rugby starting again this month (Fri 31 Jan Fra v Wales), interestingly in 10th place we have a truly international rugby story and it’s about ‘love’.
10th Best Sportsmanship Story from 2024
Irish international rugby player, Bundee Aki, is of Samoan decent but was born in Auckland, New Zealand and grew up there. In 2014 he moved to Ireland to play for Connacht and by 2017 he was eligible to play for Ireland. He has been an ever present in the Irish squad ever since.
He was recently asked “what one word sums up your relationship with Ireland?” His reply was “Love”.
“I love playing for Ireland, I love the people in Ireland, they’ve given me nothing but love and I could only show it back just through the way I play and the way I represent the country”. See the 30 second video.
9th Best Story: The Lonely Long Distance Runner (Cambodia)
In 9th place comes a Long Distance Running story from the The South East Asian Games, held in Cambodia in May – the first time Cambodia ever hosted SEAG.
Cambodia’s 20 year old Bou Samnang fought her way into the 5k finals. But on the biggest day of her life, 5k finals, she fell ill with Amnemia (the body doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood – causes tiredness, weakness, dizziness, difficulty breathing).
She still ran the race. She finished last, in fact, 6 mins behind the winner and for 90 seconds, during a torrential downpour, she was the only runner on the track – she was the lonely long-distance runner.
Despite the rain, wind, thunder and lightning the lonely 20–year old just kept going. The crowd didn’t know Bou Samnang was ill all day. Regardless, the fans were inspired by her grit and applauded her. “It was important for me to finish the race because of the crowd support that I had and also that I was representing Cambodia.
She was crying and soaked at the end – then carried a Cambodian flag out and bowed very briefly to the cheering crowd.
The video went viral. The Cambodian Prime Minister, Hun Sen, gave her $10,000 for her honour & determination. The Cambodian King, Norodom Sihamoni, said he was proud of her for reminding everyone that sports are about more than winning and losing.
8th Best Story: Pakistani and Indian Cricket Fans Unite and Cheer England Football Team.
This story is about the fans. India were playing against Pakistan in the World Championship of Legends (a contest for retired and non-contracted players) at Edgbaston cricket ground (Birmingham, England).
At the same time, England Men were playing against Switzerland in the quarter final of the Euros. All of a sudden the clubhouse at Edgbaston was filled with Indian and Pakistani fans, united together to support the England football team.
Mr Bhangal, who took this video said the clip showed that “people can support their heritage and be proud of their heritage, and support the country they’re born in, at the same time.”
7th Best Story: American Gymnastics Coaches a Kid to Backflip in One Hour
This is a beautiful gymnastics story about a young coach & a kid. Coaches are often the unsung heroes. This is also a story about the sheer joy of sport
It’s incredible what humans are capable of with trust & a great teacher.
Check out gymnastics teacher, American Bob Reese teaching a young, hungry student how to do a backflip – in an hour – with incremental tips that increase confidence & accelerate skill acquisition.
He fills his student with self belief, building a flowing movement in small, digestible pieces and the results are stunning.
When the kid does a successful backflip – just look at the child’s smile – a sense of achievement – the sheer joy of sport.
Watch this video.
6th Best Story: North & South Korean Table Tennis Players Have Fun
In July we had the Paris Olympics and a magical sportsmanship moment occurred when the ping pong (table tennis) mixed doubles produced an incredible moment during the medal ceremony.
North Korea got the silver medal and south Korea the bronze medal. After receiving the medals, one of the South Korean players got a phone out and took a ‘selfie’ photograph together with all the players from South Korea and North Korea and the Chinese gold medalists also joined the selfie.
This was particularly special because The North Korean government reportedly instructed its athletes not to engage with competitors from other nations
So Ping pong diplomacy fulfilled one of the goals of Olympism which is to bring young people from different nations together and to make friends. See the photo.
In 5th place: Beach Volley Ball Canadian and Brazilian Players Clash and then……
This is an extraordinary story. It’s the Women’s beach volleyball gold medal match….and tempers flared at the net between the Canadian and Brazilian players. A yellow card was issued.
To calm things down the DJ plays John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’. The players look at each other with a smile, the anger passes and the crowd starts singing along.
All the players later giggled and hugged and had a little dance. The Olympic spirit of ‘young people making friends from different countries’ still prevails with a little help from our other friend – the late, great John Lennon.
In 4th place: When Spanish Footballers Applauded a German
Do you remember the Euros back in June & July?
Quarter Finals – Germany v Spain.
Germany were beaten by Spain with a last minute winner in extra time.
And so, it was time to say goodbye bye to an all time great, Germany’s Toni Kroos, who announced prior to the tournament that he will be retiring at the end of the Euros.
At the end of the game the Spanish players lined up to pay their respects to the German legend – a real touch of class from the Spanish side. More here.
In 3rd place: American Gymnasts Bow to Brazilians
It’s the Olympics and it’s gymnastics, floor exercise, with American, Simone Biles (a truly extraordinary young lady) and Jordan Chiles winning the silver and bronze medals respectively .
At the podium, as Brazil’s Rebeca Andrade received her gold medal, both Simone and Jordan bowed to her – which was captured in a a spectacular photo.
Incidentally, the podium was the first all-Black gymnastics podium in Olympic history. Biles later said, “It was just the right thing to do”. She also said that the moment was important because it represented all the little girls and boys who look like them.
Humility & Fun are important parts of sportsmanship.
In 2nd place: English Snooker Player Refuses Easy Pot
The 2024 World Snooker Championship at The Crucible, produced a truly great moment of sportsmanship. Ronnie O’Sullivan, playing against Stuart Bingham pointed out a mispositioned black ball that benefited him. When the referee placed the black ball on the spot, there was a tiny indentation in the green felt surface (which often happens after many days of intensive play). The indentation moved the ball slightly and gave Ronnie a relatively easy opportunity to pot a red ball. Ronnie refused to pot the ball and insisted the referee kept repositioning the black ball until it blocked his easy shot.
Ronnie O’Sullivan passed up a potential frame-winning shot in his quarter-final match with a gesture that simply upholds the integrity of the sport.
In 1st place: our winner – the sportsmanship moment 2024 -arguably the Greatest Olympian Ever – A Humble Cuban Wrestler
This is the story of the great Cuban Champion Wrestler – who finished his career and left his boots in the ring.
Mijaín López, arguably, the greatest Olympian of all time – the 42 year old is the only Olympian to have won 5 consecutive gold medals in the same Olympic individual event….. in Greco-Roman wrestling
Lopez was called ‘El Terrible’ since he dominated his sport for so long.
”The legacy that I want to leave to all the young people who follow me is to always fight for what they want to achieve,” …. “there are no purposes in life that cannot be achieved.”
After winning his 5th consecutive gold, the Olympic Champion of the heaviest weight class – bent down on his right knee, untied his boot lace and removed his left boot. The crowd start to applaud. He looks up humbly. Then he switches knees and unties his right boot, then pushes both boots away from him, looks at them and then picks them up, kisses them and places them back down on the canvas for the very last time. The crowd are going ballistic.
And his way of saying goodbye – ending his wrestling career was special. He left the ring and he left his boots in the centre of the ring. “It is as if you have left a part of your life there”. He also said, “I left a dream on the mat, but a dream that will inspire all young people”.
Humility & Inspiration from the truly great Cuban, Mijain Lopez.
Please Note: We will add the BBC Radio London Audio file within a week – meanwhile you can hear (and/or read) previous Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments
So if you enjoyed these 2024 stories, you might also enjoy our previous years’ Top Moments:
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2023
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2022
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2021
Top 5 Sportsmanship Moments 2020 (Covid Year)
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2019
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2018
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2017
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2016
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2015
Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments 2014
Thanks to Phil Parry, anchorman on BBC Radio London Saturday Sports Show. We always sit and chat for two hours after our Top 10 Moments. Thanks for your inspiration Phil.
Thanks for this post. You shared amazing article with us. I am sure that people definitely like your article.
Thank you. I’ve just posted the Football World Cup 2026 Top 10 Sportsmanship Moments – which, I hope, reassures many that there still is a lot of magic in sport (and in life)! Just recorded it with BBC Radio London – so you can now listen, read or watch the Top 10 stories. Perhaps, one day, I can visit the Institute of Physical and Sport Sciences and tell some sportsmanship stories that prove the real value of sportsmanship – in helping to grow a person, a club and a complete sport.