Sports
Elder Paul Bassey, Godswill Akpabio International Stadium Headline Sportsville Awards
Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Sports, Elder Paul Bassey, and the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium will take centre stage as the 6th Sportsville Special Recognition Award holds in Lagos.
Elder Paul Bassey is a Nigerian sports journalist and administrator, the 2nd Vice-President of the African Club Association, and a CAF/FIFA match commissioner. He has dedicated decades to sports journalism and administration, earning him the nickname “Paul Sports Bassey.”
Bassey, who has spent just one year in office as Commissioner for Sports, has overseen a strong rise in Akwa Ibom’s performances at national sporting events. He has consistently credited these achievements to the support and vision of the state government led by Pastor Umo Eno.
The Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo will also be honoured with the Best Facilities Award in the government category. The stadium remains the top sporting venue in the country, meeting international standards set by FIFA and CAF, thanks to consistent maintenance by the Akwa Ibom state government.
The facility is the home of the Super Eagles of Nigeria and has also served as a venue for several teams in CAF club competitions.
The ceremony, scheduled to take place at the Lagos Country Club, will also recognise 20 Nigerians across seven categories.
In the Icon category, Kwame Arthur and Chuka Momah will be honoured. Itiako Ikpokpo and Wahid Oshodi will receive the Sports Personalities of the Year award.
The Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, will be decorated with the Sports Transformative Impact Award.
Other recipients include Femi Bankole Alibay and Bambo Akani in the Creative and Innovative category, while Amadin Desmond Enabulele will be recognised for Visionary Leadership.
In the Achievers category, Christian Emeruwa and Felix Akiga will be honoured.
The Special Recognition category will feature Isaac Danladi, Akin Afolarin, Fred Newton Erhunwunse, Toyin Aluko, Fausat Dehinde Yekini, and Toyosi Oyetunji.
The Sportsville Award, now in its sixth edition, continues to celebrate excellence and contributions to sports development in Nigeria.
Sports
Congo overcome Jamaica 1-0 in extra time to book FIFA World Cup 2026 berth | FIFA World Cup 2022
Congo scored in extra time to edge Jamaica 1-0 and become the 47th of 48 teams that will play at the World Cup.
Axel Tuanzebe scored following a corner kick in the 100th minute of the intercontinental playoff. The Jamaican defenders failed to clear the ball and Tuanzebe, who plays for Burnley in the English Premier League tapped it into the net.
Congo has never played in a World Cup under that name, although it participated in the 1974 edition in Germany as Zaire.
With its victory in the intercontinental playoff at the Akron Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, the Congolese team completes Group K at the World Cup, where it will face Colombia, Portugal, and Uzbekistan.
“We’re going to enjoy the qualification, but we’ll keep working. We know we’ll be facing top nations who play in the World Cup every four years,” Congo captain Chancel Mbemba said. “We’ll stay humble, keep our feet on the ground, and continue to work. We’ll give everything to make our supporters and our people proud.”
The Jamaica team, known as the Reggae Boyz, missed out on what would have been a second World Cup appearance. They have only took part once in the world’s biggest football tournament, in 1998.
Congo had chances to take the lead twice during regulation time. Nathanael Mbuku’s 4th-minute effort and Samuel Moutossamy’s in the 85th were ruled out for offside.
The full list of 48 teams participating in the World Cup was set to be finalized later Tuesday in Mexico when Bolivia played Iraq at Monterrey. The winner will join Group I, which already includes France, Norway, and Senegal.
Ademola Lookman’s debut, after joining Atletico Madrid, and his first goal for the club, came against Barcelona, and only a few months later, he’ll now prepare to face off against the LaLiga side a whopping three times in only 10 days. In a unique outcome, that has only happened due to both teams progression in the Copa Del Rey and Champions League, the two clubs will meet six times this season, with Lookman standing to be involved in five of those meetings.
How to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona, odds
- Date: Saturday, April 4 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Riyadh Air Metropolitano — Madrid, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Atletico Madrid +210; Draw +290; Barcelona +115
Lookman’s move to join the club from Atalanta during the January transfer window has Atletico Madrid in the midst of one of their best seasons in a while as they’re one win from securing a Copa Del Rey title while also having a chance at knocking Barcelona out of Champions League pla,y but these are things that aren’t suprising Lookman as he looks to help this team in any way that he can.
“I think obviously Atleti is a massive, massive club, on all fronts. You know, I noticed that before I came here, and being here, it’s a lot bigger and it’s right in your face. And I think that the squad is full of amazing players, qualities, and we want to compete,” Lookman said. “We’re competing on all fronts in three different competitions, which is a credit to everybody here, credit to the staff, credit to the players, and credit to the mentality here. The mentality is to win as much as we can, win the games that are in front of us, and we take every game as they come, and we’re looking forward to the games ahead.”
That mentality is part of the effect of playing for Diego Simeone. Lookman said that the manager was demanding when asked to describe what it’s like playing for him, and he also expanded that because he demands so much from his players, it makes him want to perform at his best, which will be needed to win these games. He already has two matches against Barcelona to fall back on when looking for experience, despite them ending in very different ways. Atleti won the first match for their two-legged Copa del Rey semifinal 4-0, before losing the away tie 3-0, to just squeak into the final. On the bright side, winning the two home matches by a crooked scoreline could be more than enough to see Atleti make it to the last four teams standing in the Champions League while also gaining ground in LaLiga.
With Lookman already grabbing a goal and an assist in the Copa Del Rey against Barcelona, this also won’t be an occasion that’s too big for him, although he has learned from the first two matches against them.
“There’s a lot to take away from both games, home and away, and you know, we’ve obviously learned from that, and we’re still learning from that,” Lookman said. “We’re going to take some stuff away from that. And on every occasion, you can expect something unexpected, and that’s football. But for us, it’s obviously preparing the same way that we’ve been preparing in the best way possible to get the best result.”
There’s only so much that a team can switch things up when facing someone so many times in quick succession, so it’s a good time to keep things simple and see what happens in the long run. Lookman, settling in quickly, will have him as a focus for the attack as the club has welcomed him in, and fellow former Atalanta players Juan Musso and Matteo Ruggeri were able to help Lookman get settled.
“Normally, once you join a team, you kind of go to who you’re most familiar with, and obviously, um, I kind of stuck around them in the beginning, of course, and as time goes on, you kind of speak with more people and start to form different relationships with people,” Lookman said.
Now that he’s coming into his own and also growing in the defensive side of his game under Simeone, this is a time where he’ll be expected to impact the side. He has already learned a lot while in LaLiga and is able to use his pace to make an impact, which can give Barcelona’s high line a nightmare in these fixtures. Repetition and being able to improve as an all-around player in a short period of time show how much of a difference things have been for the Nigerian so far. Now, he’ll have to keep it going on the biggest stage.
Paris Saint-Germain went four points clear at the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 win at home against Toulouse on Friday night. Ousmane Dembélé scored the first of his two goals of the evening midway through the first half with an impressive long-range volley.
Across the Channel, Chelsea have sidelined vice-captain Enzo Fernández after the midfielder fuelled speculation of a summer transfer to Real Madrid with comments he made over the international break. The Argentine’s two-game suspension starts from this weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final ties.
The fallout from Italy’s failure to qualify for a third straight World Cup has now seen Gennaro Gattuso resign as national team head coach after less than a year in charge. Italian FA president Gabriele Gravina as well as the team’s delegation head Gianluigi Buffon have also stepped down from their positions in the wake of the play-off defeat.
One of Britain’s longest-running annual sporting events, consisting of a series of boat races between students from the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, takes place on the River Thames in West London this Saturday. This year, for the first time, both men’s teams will be captained by French students.
Sports
Why did Suryakumar Yadav replace Hardik Pandya as Mumbai Indians captain vs Delhi Capitals? | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Just moments before the toss, broadcasters announced that Mumbai Indians captain Hardik Pandya would not play in the match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. Seconds after the announcement, Suryakumar Yadav – smiling, chewing gum, and dressed in the blue and gold jersey – walked out with the team sheet, shook hands with Ravi Shastri, and then greeted Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel.What followed was a loud cheer from the Delhi crowd as they saw their T20 World Cup-winning captain Surya.The big question was: why was Surya leading the team, and why was Hardik missing such an important clash?The moment Axar won the toss and opted to field against Mumbai Indians, and spoke about his team combination, the focus quickly shifted to Surya.“(Hardik Pandya) He’s not well, doesn’t look good, so he was not fit for today’s game. So just getting into his shoes today,” Surya, who was the stand-in captain for the Delhi Capitals clash, said.
Mumbai Indians began their IPL 2026 campaign with a six-wicket win over Kolkata Knight Riders.Mumbai Indians brought in Deepak Chahar in place of Pandya.“(On the win against KKR) If you win the first game after 13-14 years, there’s a lot of positivity in the camp, and we’re very happy, but completely different venue here from Wankhede. We have to take good responsibility and have a good game here. (On the surface) Looks good, The toss was irrelevant. We wanted to bat first, they wanted to bowl first, but yeah, very happy to bat first. Looks good one. We’ve done here really well when we’ve batted first and defended. Quite a few changes. Deepak Chahar comes in for Hardik. Corbin Bosch comes in for Boulty, that’s a tactical change. Boulty had a good game in the last game at Wankhede. And Mitch Santner comes in for Allah Ghazanfar,” Surya said.Axar went with the same side against Mumbai Indians. “I choose to bowl first. First match at home, I want to see how the wicket is behaving. It looks a bit dry, a bit hard. We chased well in the last match. To chase down the target from 26/ 4 in the powerplay, it gives a lot of confidence to the group. Even the top-order know that there are batters in the lower order who can step up if they fail. Playing a home game is always beneficial. Our DC supporters will cheer for us. Same team,” Axar said. Teams:Delhi Capitals (Playing XI): KL Rahul(w), Pathum Nissanka, Nitish Rana, Axar Patel(c), Tristan Stubbs, David Miller, Vipraj Nigam, Lungi Ngidi, Kuldeep Yadav, T Natarajan, Mukesh KumarMumbai Indians (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ryan Rickelton(w), Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Naman Dhir, Sherfane Rutherford, Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Jasprit BumrahHere are the Impact substitutes for both the teams:Delhi Capitals Impact subs: Ashutosh Sharma, Auqib Nabi Dar, Sameer Rizvi, Dushmantha Chameera, Karun NairMumbai Indians Impact subs: Mayank Markande, Robin Minz, Raj Bawa, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar
Now that the Jacksonville Jaguars have extended Travon Walker, there are two other players on the roster who are obvious extension candidates as well — Brenton Strange and Parker Washington.
Both players are set to enter the final year of their rookie deals in 2026.
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Coming out of the NFL league meetings last week, ESPN’s Michael DiRocco reported that, along with Walker, the Jaguars had contract extension talks with Strange and Washington.
DiRocco called these “preliminary discussions,” and then had this to say:
“General manager James Gladstone is optimistic about the chances of extending them this offseason, saying the Jaguars are ‘probably within striking distance to see things come to light,’” DiRocco wrote.
As the 2025 season progressed, Washington saw his opportunities increase. And from there, he became a go-to target for Lawrence, and by the end of the season, he was one of the most productive receivers in football.
Washington would lead the Jaguars in receiving this past season, totaling 954 receiving yards. This included Washington eclipsing the 100-yard mark in three of the Jaguars’ final four games.
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Strange, meanwhile, was a very reliable target in the passing game and totaled 549 receiving yards with three touchdowns. However, his do-it-all presence as a blocker and someone who can line up across the formation helped expand the call sheet for Liam Coen and add some unpredictability to the offense.
Back in January, and not surprisingly, Gladstone hinted at that time that keeping Strange and Washington around for the long-term would be a priority, saying, “we feel Brenton Strange and Parker Washington are people we align with moving forward.”
With both players under contract through the 2026 season, the Jaguars have time to get deals done, but the price tag for both players may only continue to rise if these negotiations extend into the season.
This article originally appeared on Jaguars Wire: Parker Washington, Brenton Strange other Jaguars contract extension candidates
Apr 3, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg (32) moves to the ball past Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Franz Wagner went for 18 points in just 17 minutes, Wendell Carter Jr. led the way with 28 and the Orlando Magic used balanced scoring to easily overcome Cooper Flagg’s historic 51 in a 138-127 triumph over the host Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
Desmond Bane chipped in with 27 points and Tristan da Silva and Jalen Suggs added 19 apiece for the Magic (41-36), who matched wins by the Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Charlotte Hornets in a tightly bunched competition for the final two automatic Eastern Conference playoff spots and top three play-in berths.
Flagg, 19, became the first teenager in NBA history to produce a 50-point game. The rookie shot 19-for-30 for the Mavericks (24-53), who lost for the eighth time in the past nine games.
Max Christie buried a pair of 3-pointers and Flagg nailed a third as the Mavericks got the better of the visitors for most of the first six minutes, building a 17-14 lead.
Orlando dominated the rest of the way, running up 38- and 33-point quarters to go up 71-58 by halftime, before putting the hammer down with a 40-point uprising in the third period en route to a 30-point lead in the fourth.
The 138-point total was Orlando’s second-highest of the season behind only a 144-point effort in November at Philadelphia.
In just his second game back from a sprained left ankle that had sidelined him since Feb. 11, Wagner was able to call it a night early after having hit eight of 12 shots. He had played 20 minutes on Wednesday against the Hawks.
The Magic outshot the Mavericks 56% to 46.3% overall and 53.8% to 33.3% from beyond the 3-point arc. Carter’s season-high total came in 36 minutes as he fell two points shy of his career-best. He did a lot of his damage at the free throw line, where he went 10-for-10.
Bane tied Paolo Banchero, who had 10 points, for Orlando rebounding honors with seven, while Suggs was the game leader in assists with nine. Both Bane and Suggs also found time for three steals.
The 51 points by Flagg surpassed the 49 he put up against Charlotte in January. He also had a 42-point game at Utah in December, giving him the three highest-scoring games this year among rookies.
Brandon Williams backed Flagg with 23 points, while Klay Thompson had 18 and Christie 14. Ryan Nembhard led the Mavericks in rebounds with a game-high-tying seven while matching Williams for team honors in assists with five. –Field Level Media
Sports
Today IPL match, GT vs RR: Team prediction, head-to-head, pitch report, Ahmedabad weather update
NEW DELHI: Rajasthan Royals, under new captain Riyan Parag, began their IPL 2026 campaign in emphatic fashion, thrashing Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in their opener. They will now look to build on that momentum and extend their winning run.
Gujarat Titans, meanwhile, will be eager to get their campaign back on track after suffering a defeat to Punjab Kings in their opening game.
Ahead of the high-voltage clash between GT and RR, the contest between express pacer Jofra Archer and Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill promises to be a key subplot.
Archer has enjoyed the upper hand in this battle so far in T20s, dismissing Gill three times in 19 deliveries while conceding just 16 runs.
The England pacer was also in fine form in the previous game against CSK, returning impressive figures of 2/19 in four overs, including the crucial wicket of skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Gill, on the other hand, looked in good touch despite GT’s loss in their opener, scoring 39 off 27 balls with six boundaries.
Another intriguing face-off will be between Kagiso Rabada and the in-form Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
Sooryavanshi, known for his aggressive strokeplay, was in devastating form against CSK, smashing a 15-ball half-century to power Rajasthan Royals to a dominant win.
Rabada will have the task of containing the young batter and breaking his rhythm early.
Gill is also closing in on a significant milestone in the IPL. The GT skipper is just 95 runs away from reaching 4,000 runs in the tournament.
So far, he has scored 3,905 runs in 119 matches (116 innings) at an average of 39.44 and a strike rate of 138.77, including four centuries and 26 half-centuries. His highest score remains 129.
GT vs RR: Head-to-head
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Gujarat Titans have the upper hand and have clearly dominated this rivalry, winning six of the eight encounters, while Rajasthan Royals have managed just two victories.
The two sides notably met in the IPL 2022 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, where Gujarat Titans clinched the title with a convincing seven-wicket win.
However, in their most recent meeting, Rajasthan Royals turned the tables in style, with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi smashing a sensational 101 off just 38 balls to power his side to a remarkable 210-run chase in under 16 overs at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.
GT vs RR: Ahmedabad weather report
The weather in Ahmedabad on Saturday is expected to be hot and humid with partly cloudy skies. There is only a minimal chance of rain during the match, making interruptions unlikely. As it is an evening game, a light breeze could set in, which might offer some assistance to the fast bowlers. Temperatures are likely to hover between 26°C and 32°C during match hours. Overall, conditions look favourable for a full, uninterrupted contest between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals.
GT vs RR: Pitch report
The Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is expected to favour the batters, setting the stage for a potential run-fest on Saturday evening. A high-scoring contest is on the cards in the clash between Rajasthan Royals and Gujarat Titans, with the pitch likely to offer good bounce. The true surface should allow stroke-makers to play their shots freely, ensuring an enjoyable outing for the batters.
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GT vs RR: Predicted XIIs
Gujarat Titans: Shubman Gill (c), Sai Sudharsan, Jos Buttler (wk), Washington Sundar, Glenn Phillips, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada/Jason Holder, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna
Rajasthan Royals: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel (wk), Riyan Parag (c), Shimron Hetmyer, Donovan Ferreira, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Ravi Bishnoi, Sandeep Sharma, Nandre Burger, Brijesh Sharma
GT vs RR: SQUADS
Gujarat Titans Squad: Sai Sudharsan, Shubman Gill(c), Jos Buttler(w), Glenn Phillips, Washington Sundar, Shahrukh Khan, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Kagiso Rabada, Ashok Sharma, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Jason Holder, Jayant Yadav, Manav Suthar, Kumar Kushagra, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Ishant Sharma, Luke Wood, Tom Banton, Kulwant Khejroliya, Anuj Rawat, Arshad Khan, Gurnoor Brar, Nishant Sindhu
Rajasthan Royals Squad: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Dhruv Jurel(w), Riyan Parag(c), Shimron Hetmyer, Ravindra Jadeja, Jofra Archer, Nandre Burger, Sandeep Sharma, Ravi Bishnoi, Brijesh Sharma, Donovan Ferreira, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Ravi Singh, Sushant Mishra, Tushar Deshpande, Adam Milne, Dasun Shanaka, Kuldeep Sen, Yudhvir Singh Charak, Shubham Dubey, Kwena Maphaka, Vignesh Puthur, Aman Rao Perala
Sports
Delhi Capitals vs Mumbai Indians LIVE Score, IPL 2026: MI Boosted By 138 T20I Veteran's Return, Worry For DC
DC vs MI Live Score, IPL 2026 LIVE Cricket Score: After starting their campaign with a thumping win over Lucknow Super Giants, Delhi Capitals will take on Mumbai Indians in their next IPL 2026 clash on Saturday in Delhi.
Thomas Tuchel insisted England’s dispiriting 1-0 loss to Japan in a friendly will have no bearing on the team’s chances at the upcoming World Cup.
England has lost some of the momentum built up under Tuchel by drawing with Uruguay at Wembley Stadium on Friday and then succumbing to Kaoru Mitoma’s first-half goal for Japan at the same venue four days later.
Tuchel has fielded experimental lineups for both games, with key regulars like captain Harry Kane, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka missing because of minor injuries.
The German coach also said many of his players are “heavily invested” in their club campaigns at this stage of the season.
For that reason, Tuchel felt sure “this camp will not define us.”
“It’s just a reality if teams like Uruguay or Japan come well-drilled, with their top lineup, it’s a difficult task,” Tuchel said.
“It was not necessary to lose the match. Unfortunately, we lost it, which is disappointing, and I hate losing, like no one else, and it will take a while to digest. But it will not affect us massively for when we arrive in the U.S.”
Cole Palmer and Phil Foden are star players in the Premier League but battling to simply make England’s squad for the World Cup, and were given another chance to impress Tuchel after being handed starts against Japan.
They failed to take it, with England especially poor in the first half when the team failed to manage a shot on target for the first time in a friendly match since 2017, according to statistics company Opta.
With Morgan Rogers and Jude Bellingham other options as attacking midfielders, Palmer and Foden face anxious waits to see if they make the plane for the tournament.
“I’m not the biggest fan of talking about individuals, but, of course if we put offensive players on the pitch, we demand offensive actions, we demand creativity, we demand shots, we demand assists, and we clearly didn’t have enough. We could not create,” said Tuchel, who deployed Foden as a so-called “false nine” in Kane’s absence.
“We made it difficult for us to find them in the half-spaces. We struggled to open up these spaces. We played against the deep 5-4-1. We didn’t use the width of the field enough to make the difference, and our offensive players struggled to make the difference.”
Tuchel accepted that the absence of Kane hurt his team.
“No team in the world has the same threat (without Kane),” he said. “It’s just normal. On top of it, Harry dropped out so we lost not only him as a player, but we lost him as a personality. It’s always a bit disruptive if the captain leaves the last training after 15 minutes and is out of the squad.
“We can win games without Harry,” Tuchel added. “We will win without Harry. We have won without Harry, but it’s easier to win matches with Harry, of course.”
In other friendlies, Euro 2024 champion Spain was held 0-0 by Egypt, and the Netherlands – another title hopeful this summer – drew 1-1 at home to Ecuador after playing most of the game with 10 men after Denzel Dumfries’ 12th-minute red card.
The Sky Bet Grand National offer is gives new customers £30 in Grand National free bets for placing any bet on the three-day racing event at Aintree.
The Sky Bet Grand National betting sign offer allows users to place any bet on the Grand National from as low as 5p to unlocks £30 in free bets to use over the course of the racing at Aintree.
We’ve detailed all you need to know Sky Bet Grand National betting offer, how it compares to Grand National promos on other betting sites and Sky Bet betting offers for existing customers during the event.
Sky Bet Grand National offer: Get £30 free bets from any bet
The Sky Bet Grand National offer gives new customers the chance to claim £30 in free bets after placing a bet on any race on Grand National day, starting as little as 5p.
To qualify for the betting sign up offer, new users must sign up via one of the links in the article then make a deposit using an eligible payment method before placing a bet as little as £0.05 on any Grand National market with odds of evens or greater.
This Sky Bet Grand National offer can only be claimed once per customer. Once the qualifying bet has been settled, bettors will receive £30 in Grand National free bets paid out in 3 x £10 installments.
Claim the SkyBet Grand National offer by following these simple steps.
- Step 1: Sign up for a Sky Bet account using one of our links and opt in to the promotion.
- Step 2: Deposit using an eligible payment method (Pay By Bank, debit card, Apple Pay)
- Step 3: Stake £0.05 on any Grand National market with odds of evens (1/1) or greater.
- Step 4: Once your bet is settled, you’ll receive £30 in free bets, in the form of 3 x £10 free bet tokens.
Users must place qualifying bet within 30 days of opening an account. Deposits using Neteller or Skrill will not qualify. Free bets are non-withdrawable and free bet stakes are not included in any returns, and they expire seven days after crediting.
Free bets can be redeemed against any single or each-way market and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Free bets cannot be used on virtuals.
How does the Sky Bet betting sign up offer compare with rival Grand National offers?
There are plenty of Grand National free bets available in the lead up to and during the festival, and the comparison table below shows how the SkyBet Grand National free bet promo stacks up against competing offers from other horse racing betting sites.
|
Bookmaker |
Offer |
Free bet restrictions? |
Eligible payment methods |
|
Sky Bet |
Bet £0.05 get £30 free bets |
Virtuals excluded |
Debit card, Apple Pay, Pay By Bank. Skrill, Neteller payments not eligible. |
|
Betfair Sportsbook |
Bet £10, get £50 in free bets |
Free bets can only be used on accumulators, bet builders & other multiples |
Bank transfer, debit card & Apple Pay |
|
Paddy Power |
Bet £5, get £30 in free bets |
n/a |
Debit card, Apple Pay, bank transfer |
|
Betfred |
Bet £10, get £40 in free bets |
2x £10 free sports bets, 2x £10 free accumulator bets |
Debit card, Apple Pay, instant bank transfer |
|
BetGoodwin |
Bet £10, get £15 in free bets |
1x £5 sports bet, 1x £5 acca bet, 1x £5 sub cover bet |
Debit card |
|
NetBet |
Bet £10, get £20 |
£5 football bet builder, £5 football acca, £5 horse racing acca, £5 tennis bet |
Debit card, bank transfer, Google Pay, Apple Pay, PayPal |
Sky Bet Grand National offers
SkyBet will have a range of offers available during the Grand National. Punters can expect to find the following promos running:
Acca Freeze: Freeze a leg of your acca to keep the result, while the rest of your bet plays out.
Extra place races: Sky Bet will offer extra places on selected races at Aintree, including the Grand National, enhancing the chances of a return on each-way bets.
Bet and get: Punters can unlock between £2 and £20 in free bets by wagering a specific amount on a certain event or bet type.
Odds boosts: Sky Bet boosts the price on a range of Grand National bets.
Non-runner no bet (NRNB): Back a horse at Aintree in any race and if it doesn’t run, get your money back in full.
Grand National specials: Punters can find a range of Sky Bet Grand National specials available for the 2026 Festival.
Live streaming: The Grand National can be watched via live stream, so long as a bet has been placed on that race.
Responsible gambling
Bettors should always gamble responsibly online. Always remain within a budget and never exceed it. Never chase your losses.
Anyone can lose a bet even if they know a lot about horse racing. It is easy to get carried away with the Grand National, so remain in control of your time and betting when claiming Sky Bet free bets or any other Grand National offers.
Bettors can use responsible gambling tools provided by gambling sites such as deposit limits, loss limits and self-exclusion among others.
These should be available on all regulated casino sites, slot sites and poker sites too.
Should you wish to seek help for gambling-related issues, there are several charities, organisations and healthcare providers who offer support and information:
We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
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