Hyderabad to Host the Exciting Second Season of Archery Premier League
Hyderabad: The New Archery Hub
This October, Hyderabad will transform into the epicenter of archery as it welcomes the Archery Premier League (APL) for its second season. Scheduled from October 8 to 18, the event will take place at People's Plaza on Necklace Road, featuring eleven days of top-tier competition with six franchise teams and some of the world's best archers.
Star-Studded Lineup of Archers
The Archery Association of India (AAI), with support from the Telangana government, is behind this season, which builds on the success of last year's inaugural event in New Delhi. This league will once again showcase Olympic champions, world champions, and top-ranked archers from around the globe.
Notable Indian participants include former World No. 1 and four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, four-time Olympian Atanu Das, and 2023 Compound World Champion Gold Medallist Ojas Deotale, along with other elite archers like Jyoti Surekha, Abhishek Verma, and Olympian Ankita Bhakat.
Unique League Format
Launched in 2025, the APL aims to enhance India's chances for Olympic medals in archery. It serves as a platform for Indian archers to compete in a high-performance setting. This league uniquely combines recurve and compound archers, both male and female, in competitive scenarios, introducing a 15-second shot clock—five seconds shorter than the standard 20 seconds in Olympic and World Archery events. This format emphasizes speed, composure, and decision-making under pressure. The APL is recognized as the only franchise-based archery league globally and has the backing of World Archery and World Archery Asia.
Excitement Builds for Season 2
As the second season approaches, Anil Kamineni, Director of APL, expressed enthusiasm about bringing the league to Hyderabad, thanking the Telangana government for its support. He noted the city's rich sporting culture and its capacity to host such a significant event. The inaugural season highlighted archery's potential as a spectator sport and the importance of providing a platform for Indian archers to compete with the best in the world. The focus remains on enhancing India's archery ecosystem and inspiring future talent.
Tournament Structure
The tournament will span 11 days and feature six franchises: Mighty Marathas, Rajputana Royals, Prithviraaj Yodhas, Kakatiya Knights, Chero Archers, and Chola Chiefs. A total of 48 archers, both Indian and international, will compete in recurve and compound categories. Each team will consist of a mixed squad of eight archers, following a double round-robin format. The top four teams will progress to the semi-finals, culminating in the final match on October 18.
Aiming for Olympic Glory
Virendra Sachdeva, Secretary General of AAI and Director of APL, emphasized the league's vision to bolster India's Olympic success in archery. He stated that consistent exposure to high-level competition is essential for athletes to contend for medals on the global stage. The APL not only raises the competitive standards of Indian archery but also innovates how the sport is presented and experienced worldwide.
The first season crowned the Rajputana Royals as champions and featured prominent figures like Olympic gold medallist Mete Gazoz and Compound World Champion Ella Gibson. The upcoming Hyderabad edition is anticipated to attract another impressive lineup of archers, both from India and abroad.