Exciting Matches in Archery Premier League as Teams Battle for Top Spots

Archery Premier League Heats Up in Hyderabad

The second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) is currently at a critical juncture as the round-robin phase progresses. Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights both secured victories against the previously strong Chero Archers and Prithviraaj Yodhas, respectively, preventing their rivals from gaining a significant advantage in the standings.

In the second match on Monday, the Rajputana Royals broke their losing streak, leaving the Chola Chiefs at the bottom of the leaderboard.

Both Chero and Yodhas had chances to reach 8 points and create a gap, but their losses mean that four teams are now tied at 6 points after five matches. The Royals have managed to stay competitive with four points following their second win, while the Chiefs are struggling with only one victory in the first half of the season.

The APL, recognized as the world's first franchise-based archery league, is organized by the Archery Association of India and features six teams with a total of 48 archers, including 36 from India and 12 elite international competitors. The league is being held at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad and will conclude on October 18 with the semifinals and the grand finale.

The highlight of the day was the thrilling match between Chero and the resurgent Marathas, which culminated in a nail-biting shootoff.

Despite trailing for most of the match, Mighty Marathas staged a comeback to win in the shootoff against the in-form Chero team.

Aman Saini and Dhiraj Bommadevara hit their targets in APL’s signature shootoff. Chero’s compound world No. 1, Mathias Fullerton, managed to score in the shootoff, but the other three archers missed their shots, leading to a 2-1 victory for the Marathas after a 4-4 tie in regulation time.

Chero has now faced two losses in shootoffs this season, despite starting strong and winning the first set. The match showcased high-quality archery, with the second and third sets split between the teams. A closely contested fourth set ended with the Marathas edging out Chero, leading to the shootoff.

After a rocky start to the season, Mighty Marathas have now achieved three consecutive wins, tying with Chero at six points.

Yashdeep Bhoge replaced the in-form Atanu Das for Chero and delivered two impressive arrows in the first set, helping his team take a 2-0 lead against the Marathas.

The second set featured a showdown between recurve stars Dhiraj Bommadevara and Asian Games double gold medallist Kumkum Mohod, both scoring 9s as time ran out. In the third set, Kumkum hit a remarkable 10 to level the scores.

In the fourth set, both Bommadevara and Kumkum finished with 10s, but Saini’s first arrow was upgraded from 9 to 10, securing the set points for the Marathas. Saini concluded the match with a perfect score of 60 out of 60 and added a hit in the shootoff.

“It’s easy for me,” Saini humorously remarked after the match when asked about his performance. “There’s a process behind this, a lot of hard work. It’s rewarding when the results benefit the team.”

In the second match, the Chola Chiefs struggled from the outset. Even with their main recurve stars Deepika Kumari and Marcus D’Almeida coming in as substitutes for the third set, the damage was already done, resulting in a 1-5 loss to the Royals. The Chiefs’ difficulties were evident in their scores during the first two sets, where they failed to release their last arrow in time for a score of 63, and managed only 69 in the second set. The third set, however, showcased high-quality archery with Kumari and D’Almeida stepping up, but Mete Gazoz sealed the win for the Royals with a 10 on his final arrow.

The final match began with the potential for Yodhas to take the lead in the league, but the Knights, bolstered by the return of Austrian compound star Nico Wiener, quickly established a 4-0 lead. Despite Jyothi Surekha Vennam not having her best day, Wiener and recurve archers Neeraj Chauhan and Elia Canales managed to secure a 6-2 victory, even as Yodhas attempted a comeback in the third set.

As the league enters its second half on Tuesday, the competition intensifies for semifinal spots. The first match will see the in-form Chero Archers face off against the defending champions Rajputana Royals in what promises to be an exciting contest. Meanwhile, Prithviraaj Yodhas and Mighty Marathas will aim to solidify their standings in the second match, followed by the Southern Derby featuring Kakatiya Knights against Chola Chiefs.

BEST ARCHERS OF THE DAY (Rs 1 lakh reward each)

Recurve male: Yashdeep Bhoge (Archers)

Recurve female: Elia Canales (Knights)

Compound male: Mathias Fullerton (Archers)

Compound female: Parneet Kaur (Marathas)

SCORES: DAY 5 (October 12)

Match 1: Mighty Marathas 4-4 (2-1) Chero Archers

Match 2: Rajputana Royals 5-1 Chola Chiefs

Match 3: Kakatiya Knights 6-2 Prithviraaj Yodhas.