Published:
Chola Chiefs and Prithviraj Yodhas secured their first victories of Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 on October 9, 2026, while Chero Archers produced an impressive comeback to defeat defending champions Rajputana Royals at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad.
Chola Chiefs beat Kakatiya Knights 6–2, Chero Archers defeated Rajputana Royals by the same margin, and Prithviraj Yodhas overcame Mighty Marathas 6–2 in a competitive evening of franchise archery.
Chola Chiefs defeated Kakatiya Knights 6–2 to open their account in the second season of the Archery Premier League.
Colombian compound archer Alejandra Usquiano made an impressive APL debut, shooting all eight of her arrows into the 10-point zone. Her accuracy, alongside Rishabh Yadav’s contribution, helped the Chiefs establish early scoreboard pressure.
The team’s tactical decision to have its compound archers shoot both their arrows in the first half paid off, producing a perfect half of 40.
The recurve pairing of Deepika Kumari and Marcus D’Almeida also contributed as the Chiefs finished strongly, winning the final set 79–76 to complete the victory.
Chero Archers delivered one of the evening’s notable performances by defeating defending champions Rajputana Royals 6–2.
The Royals started well, taking the opening set 78–69, but struggled to maintain their momentum as Chero changed its lineup before the second set.
The introduction of Indian archer Atanu Das in place of Yashdeep Bhoge proved decisive. Das combined effectively with American archer Casey Kaufhold as Chero recovered from the early setback to win the next three sets.
Chero took the second set 78–66, edged the third 78–77 and closed out the contest with a 78–72 win in the fourth set.
The result demonstrated the importance of tactical adjustments and maintaining composure in the league’s best-of-four-set format.
Prithviraj Yodhas also registered their first win of the season, defeating Mighty Marathas 6–2.
The Marathas began strongly, taking the first set 73–71, but the Yodhas responded by winning the remaining three sets to secure the match.
Led by Abhishek Verma, the Yodhas came close to producing a perfect score of 80 in the third set. However, the eighth arrow from Mexican archer Matias Grande landed in the nine-point zone.
Despite narrowly missing the perfect score, the Yodhas had already built enough momentum to take control of the contest and complete the comeback.
The second season of the Archery Premier League is being held at People’s Plaza on Necklace Road in Hyderabad from October 8 to 18, 2026.
The league features six franchises: Rajputana Royals, Mighty Marathas, Chero Archers, Chola Chiefs, Prithviraj Yodhas and Kakatiya Knights. Teams combine Indian and international athletes across recurve and compound archery.
Each match is decided through a best-of-four-set format, with athletes competing at different distances depending on their discipline. The competition brings together established international archers and emerging Indian talent in a franchise-based format.
With the early results producing wins and setbacks for several teams, the race for a place in the knockout stages remains open as the league continues.
The Hindu — Chiefs, Yodhas post wins; Royals stumble
Archery Premier League — Official match schedule and results
World Archery — Archery Premier League Season 2 gets underway
