Archery Premier League season two gets underway with thrilling opening-night action
Season two of the Archery Premier League kicked off with thrilling action at the People’s Plaza in Hyderabad, bringing together some of the world’s finest archers, including Indian and international stars, to compete in a unique format over the next 10 days.
The league, which enjoyed a successful inaugural season in 2025, holds added significance for home fans this year following the nation’s impressive performance at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, where it matched its five-gold medal haul from Hangzhou 2022.
Much like the inaugural season, the league features six teams and a total of 48 archers – 36 from India and 12 internationals – divided into eight-member squads representing Chero Archers, Chola Chiefs, Kakatiya Knights, Mighty Marathas, Prithviraaj Yodhas and defending champions Rajputana Royals.
The format remains largely unchanged, with two recurve and two compound archers forming mixed teams and shooting at 70 and 50 metres, respectively. Matches follow the set system, with four archers from each team shooting two arrows per set for a maximum score of 80 points.
One of the most appealing aspects of the format is the time limit of 15 seconds per arrow, rather than the usual 20, adding to the excitement while testing the archers’ ability to perform under pressure.
Each team will face the others twice in the round-robin stage, with three matches scheduled each day.
On the opening night, defending champions Rajputana Royals began its title defence in style, but it was Kakatiya Knights who stole the show with an impressive come-from-behind victory over Mighty Marathas in a shoot-off.
In the second match of the evening, Mighty Marathas, featuring Dhiraj Bommadevara and Alejandra Valencia, suffered a remarkable collapse after taking a 4-0 lead against Kakatiya Knights, led by Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam.
The Marathas, however, could not maintain its momentum over the next two sets, allowing the Knights to draw level at 4-4 and force a shoot-off.
Wiener and Neeraj Chauhan both found the inner X-ring in the tie-breaker as the Knights completed their comeback, despite the Marathas bringing in 'Mister Perfect' Mike Schloesser, who had initially been named as a substitute.
The Marathas appeared to pay the price for substituting their leading recurve archer, Bommadevara, after the first two sets.
“We almost lost the match, but we managed to come back and win it in the shoot-off. It feels amazing!” said Wiener after the victory, adding that he was not bothered by the blustery winds blowing in from Hussain Sagar Lake, which had affected several archers’ performances throughout the evening.
Chauhan, who also delivered a crucial X in the shoot-off, added: “I was just there to give my best. I judged the conditions well and played my shots.”
Earlier, Rajputana Royals, led by Ojas Deotale and Ella Gibson, continued their dominance with a 5-3 victory over Prithviraaj Yodhas, led by Abhishek Verma and Andrea Becerra, in a repeat of last season’s final.
The Yodhas recovered from a slow start to draw level at 2-2 and then 3-3. They could have forced a shoot-off, but an eight from Matias Grande with the final arrow ended their chances.
Interestingly, Becerra, who had initially been named as a substitute, only joined the four-archer line-up for the final set.
An elated Deotale said: “Every match gives us the confidence going into the finals.
“Last time also, we maintained the co-ordination – to be in our best form right from the start. This time also, we look to stay in our best form and then become the champions again.”
The final match of the day saw Chero Archers, led by Mathias Fullerton and Atanu Das, pull off a 5-3 victory over Chola Chiefs, featuring Deepika Kumari and Marcus D’Almeida, to round off an exciting opening night.
The competition continues daily until 18 October. Fans can watch the Archery Premier League with a subscription to archery+.
Pictures courtesy of Archery Premier League
