Sports
Lakers edge Nuggets in OT while Wemby sparks Spurs win
Luka Doncic sank a baseline jumper with half a second remaining in overtime on Saturday to give the Los Angeles Lakers a dramatic 127-125 NBA victory over Denver for their fifth consecutive triumph.
NBA scoring leader Doncic had a triple double with 30 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds to foil a triple-double effort by Denver’s Nikola Jokic, who had 24 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists.
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“This game was very big,” Doncic said. “We’ve still got a long way to the playoffs. We’ve got to approach every game the same way.”
The contest only reached overtime because LA’s Austin Reaves, who scored a game-high 32 points, rebounded his own missed free throw and sank a tying basket from the left side with 1.9 seconds to play in regulation.
“Saw they only had one person on that side so tried to miss on that side and go make a play,” Reaves said. “I’ve made it once before but not to this magnitude.”
The score was deadlocked again late in overtime before Doncic’s closing heroics.
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“I just wanted to get my shot off,” the Slovenian superstar said. “I saw there was an opening so I went to the other side. Went to my step back, I’ve worked on this, and trust my shot.”
The Lakers squandered a 17-point lead then erased an eight-point Denver fourth-quarter advantage and won to stand 42-25, third in the Western Conference, while the Nuggets fell to 41-27, sixth in the West.
“That’s the best I’ve ever seen the crowd here,” Doncic said.
The Lakers won the season series over Denver, a key tie-breaker edge in the standings if needed.
At San Antonio, Victor Wembanyama delivered an electric all-around performance to lead the Spurs over Charlotte 115-102.
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Wembanyama scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for San Antonio’s 17th victory in 19 games.
The 22-year-old, 7-foot-4 (2.24m) French center added eight assists, three blocked shots and two steals to avenge a January loss at Charlotte.
“That might have been my worst defensive game all year,” Wembanyama said. “So yeah, we had to make a statement today.”
The Spurs improved to 49-18, the second-best record in the NBA and only three games behind West leader Oklahoma City.
“What’s next is pretty straightforward. We want to win everything,” Wembanyama said.
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“We’ve got one disadvantage is that we don’t got experience. But that can be an advantage, too, because if we don’t know it’s impossible we might still do it.”
Wembanyama is mindful of keeping his body healthy for the upcoming post-season and in his quest for personal awards — the NBA Most Valuable Player and NBA Defensive Player of the Year trophies.
“In my mind it’s taking great care of my body because I also want to win the MVP and defensive player of the year,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama scored four points and added an assist in a 12-0 Spurs run to grab a 104-88 lead with 6:05 remaining.
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– Hawks’ streak at nine –
The Atlanta Hawks stretched their win streak to nine games, a run they had not produced since the 2014-15 campaign, by defeating visiting Milwaukee 122-99.
Jalen Johnson had a triple double for the Hawks with 23 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds while C.J. McCollum scored a game-high 30 points for Atlanta.
Orlando’s win streak reached seven games with a 121-117 victory at Miami, ending the Heat’s win streak at seven behind 27 points by Paolo Banchero and 21 by Desmond Bane.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum had 20 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists while Neemias Queta scored a game-high 24 points to spark the Celtics’ 111-100 victory at Washington, the Wizards losing skid reaching 11 games.
Philadelphia’s Quentin Grimes scored a season-high 28 points to lead the host 76ers over Brooklyn 104-97.
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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.
Sports
Hardik Pandya: IPL 2026, DC vs MI: Why is Hardik Pandya not playing vs Delhi Capitals? | Cricket News
NEW DELHI: Delhi Capitals captain Axar Patel won the toss and opted to field against five-time champions Mumbai Indians at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi on Saturday.“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 at the toss.Mumbai Indians suffered a major blow as their captain Hardik Pandya missed the clash against Delhi Capitals.In Pandya’s absence, Suryakumar Yadav led the side.
DC vs MI : Why isn’t Hardik Pandya playing today?
Stand-in captain Suryakumar Yadav explained the reason and said Pandya isn’t well.“(News on Hardik) He’s not well, doesn’t look good, so he was not fit for today’s game. So just getting into his shoes today. (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,” Surya said during the toss. “(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,” he said.Playing XIs: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
Sports
Tasked to work on 2036 Olympic bid, 2030 Commonwealth Games: Leander Paes | Other Sports News
Indian tennis legend Leander Paes on Saturday said he has been entrusted with responsibilities related to India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games, describing it as a key to his new role in public life.
The seven-time Olympian said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had given him the task of working on youth development and sports while helping the country pursue its ambition of hosting the Olympics in 2036.
In his first media interaction in Kolkata after joining the BJP, Paes said, “Modi ji gave me a clear vision — to work for the youth and sports. He has given me the responsibility of the 2036 Olympics. I have to work hard with a team to bring the Olympics to this country.”
He also said that he would contribute towards hosting the Commonwealth Games in Gujarat.
The tennis legend said hosting the Olympics could help transform India’s sporting ecosystem and strengthen its global standing.
Drawing parallels between sporting success and economic strength, he noted that the top medal-winning nations at the 2024 Summer Olympics, including the US, China, Japan, Australia and Great Britain, are also among the world’s leading economies.
Paes said India should aim to achieve similar success by building a strong sporting culture and investing in infrastructure and grassroots talent development.
“In sports and sports education lies the ability to build a superpower,” he said, adding that developing young athletes would be key to India’s Olympic ambitions.
Paes also stressed the need to improve sports infrastructure in states such as West Bengal, noting that the state still lacks an indoor tennis stadium and often relies on temporary wooden courts for international events such as the Davis Cup.
Paes said his broader mission is to impact the lives of 250 million children over the next two decades through sports and education, adding that India’s youth would play a decisive role in the country’s Olympic aspirations and global rise.
Calling his transition from sport to public life a “new game”, Paes said he would approach the responsibility with the same passion and commitment that defined his tennis career.
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
Northern Ireland v Malta: Michael McArdle out to end NI’s goal drought – could Cora Chambers help?
Six games without a win or clean sheet and four games without a goal, it’s been a tough time for Northern Ireland women at both ends of the pitch.
Simultaneously, there looks to be obvious fixes for new boss Michael McArdle to transform their recent fortunes and get this team in transition back on track as they look to secure a play-off for the 2027 World Cup.
They clearly have work to do, particularly when it comes to scoring goals.
Under interim boss Kris Lindsay, Northern Ireland were fairly solid in defeats against Switzerland and Turkey, with an individual error against the latter from Lauren Perry gifting the visitors a victory.
There seems to be a solid base to build on in that regard, but at the other end of the pitch it is a different story.
They had just one shot on target against the Swiss and two at home against Turkey.
With captain and star striker Simone Magill absent from this World Cup qualifying campaign as she is expecting her first child, McArdle must find others to shoulder the goalscoring burden.
In his first squad he has turned to uncapped 22-year-old striker Cora Chambers alongside Glentoran teenager Kascie Weir.
The Linfield forward formed a deadly partnership with Eve Reilly for the Blues in the Women’s Premiership last season, registering 20 goals and McArdle was keen to reward her consistent form since moving to the club in 2024 with her goal tally standing at 39 in just 47 appearances.
“Excitement, I think that’s the certainly in immediate observation [of Cora],” the new boss told BBC Sport NI.
“Looking ahead to Malta, there’s a focus on the front end of the pitch. Cora is definitely a player that over the last two years in the league has shown real strength in her outcomes and consistent performances and it’s one of those ones that it’s easy to reward that.
“Really excited by Cora and I think that the energy that she can add is slightly different to what we already have and certainly it’s a reward for her hard work over the last couple of seasons at club.”
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