Archery Premier League
Launched at Yamuna Sports Complex
Dr. Shrikrishna Sharma
New Delhi. The long-awaited Archery Premier League (APL) kicked off at the Yamuna Sports Complex in the national capital. This is the first edition of the Archery Premier League. Both foreign and Indian archers will take aim. Before today’s three matches, an opening ceremony for this first Archery Premier League was held. Archery Association of India President Arjun Munda declared the league open. Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra, Archery Association of India Secretary General Virendra Sachdeva, and superstar Ram Charan, the APL brand ambassador, were present. Cine star Randeep Hooda, co-owner of the Prithviraj Yoddha team, was also present. Organized by the Archery Association of India, the tournament concludes on October 12th. Three exciting matches were played in the first round-robin stage of the archery competition. Earlier, Ram Charan met all the players from the six teams lined up on the playing field. Known for his roles in Rangasthalam, Magadheera, and especially the Oscar-winning RRR, Ram Charan expressed his passion for the sport, saying it was exciting to be a part of the APL opening ceremony. Archery requires concentration, perseverance, and dedication—values that resonate deeply. I hope my participation will inspire youth and shine a light on this wonderful sport and its athletes. He further added that portraying archery on screen gave me a deep respect for the skill and discipline required. Now, it is an honor to contribute to the development of this sport through the APL.
Winnings by Mighty Marathas, Rajputana Royals, and Chola Chiefs –
The Chola Chiefs defeated the Chero Archers 5-1 in the first match to secure their first win of APL Season 1. In a closely contested match, the Chiefs won the first set 77-73 and the second 75-74 to take four points. The two teams shared points in the third set, which ended 76-76. The Kakatiya Knights faced the Mighty Marathas, who defeated their opponents 6-0, winning all three sets 73-66, 77-72, and 78-71.
The Rajputana Royals defeated the Prithviraj Yoddhas 6-0, winning all three sets 75-72, 74-72, and 77-74.
The APL is also adopting a unique format, where players competing in compound and recurve archery will compete together. Four players on each team will be compound archers, while the other four will be recurve archers. Of these, two archers on each team will be foreign players. A total of 48 archers from six teams are participating in this first Archery Premier League.
The six participating teams and their players:
Prithviraj Warriors (Delhi): Matias Grande, Krishna Kumar, Gatha Anandrao, Sharvari Somnath, Abhishek Verma, Priyansh, Andrea Becerra, Pranjal Salve. Rajputana Royals (Rajasthan): Mete Gazoz, Sachin Gupta, Ankita Bhakat, Basanti Mahato; Prathamesh Phuge, Ojas Deotale, Ella Gibson, Swati Dudhwal. Kakatiya Knights (Telangana): Neeraj Chauhan, Rohit Kumar, Elia Canales, Tisha Punia; Nico Wiener, Jignas, Jyoti Surekha Vennam, Avneet Kaur.
Mighty Marathas (Maharashtra): Dheeraj Bommadevara, Mrinal Chauhan, Alejandra Valencia, Bhajan Kaur; Mike Schlosser, Aman Saini, Parneet Kaur, Madhura D. Chero Archers (Jharkhand): Rahul, Atanu Das, Katharina Bauer, Kumkum Mohod; Mathias Fullerton, Sahil Rajesh, Prithika Pradeep, Madala Hamsini. Chola Chiefs (Tamil Nadu): Brady Ellison, Tarundeep Rai, Deepika Kumari, Anshika Kumari; Rishabh Yadav, Pulkit, Meeri-Marita Pass, Taniparthi Chikitha.
