Cholaa Chiefs Break Losing Streak with Thrilling Shoot-Off Victory in APL Season 2

Hyderabad, October 15 (Daily Kiran) : The Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 witnessed an exciting turn of events on October 15 in Hyderabad, as the struggling Cholaa Chiefs finally broke their losing streak. The day was marked by surprising outcomes, with top teams like Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights suffering defeats.

Initially, both the Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights were poised to secure playoff spots with ten points. However, they faced formidable opponents in the Rajputana Royals and Chhero Archers, respectively. The Royals triumphed with a 6-2 victory, while the Chhero Archers dominated the Kakatiya Knights, winning 6-0. The most thrilling match of the day featured the Cholaa Chiefs, who had endured five consecutive losses, managing to defeat the Prithviraj Yoddhas.

The match ended in a 4-4 tie, leading to a dramatic shoot-off. Cholaa Chiefs’ Alejandra Usquiano from Colombia and Yuktasree Kondapavuluri from India hit the ‘Golden X-ring’ during the tie-breaker, while other archers missed their targets. This decisive performance secured a 2-0 victory for the Chiefs.

After struggling for wins since the tournament’s second day, the Chiefs finally halted their losing run on the eighth day. With only a few matches left in the round-robin phase, their victory could have been even more dominant. They had already won the first two sets and were in a strong position in the third set, with their recurve archers, Yuktasree and Marcus D’Almeida, scoring on the 7-ring.

Despite a strong performance from Gatha Khadke of the Prithviraj Yoddhas, who secured the last set with precision, it appeared that the Chiefs might falter under pressure. However, Usquiano delivered a remarkable ‘X’ hit, showcasing her talent. The Colombian compound archer scored a perfect 80 out of 80 during the regulation time, marking one of the season’s best individual performances.

With this victory, the Chiefs now have four points, keeping their hopes alive for a top-four finish, while the Yoddhas remain at eight points.

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

This season introduced a new playoff format that benefits the top teams and ensures fairness in the competition. The top two teams in the league standings will have two chances to secure a spot in the grand finale on Sunday. Meanwhile, the teams finishing third and fourth will face off in ‘Eliminator 1’ on October 17, following the regular schedule of three matches. The winner of this match will advance to ‘Eliminator 2’. On Sunday, the top two teams will clash in a ‘Short-Cut Decider.’ The winning team will advance directly to the finals, while the losing team will compete against the winner of ‘Eliminator 2’ to determine the second finalist.

The Mighty Marathas had a rocky start in their match, failing to shoot their eighth arrow in both the first and second sets. Despite a comeback in the third set, they ultimately lost 6-2 to the Royals. Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz showcased his skill, scoring 10 points with his last arrow as time ran out. In the final match, the Knights missed the presence of their star Neeraj Chauhan, with Rohit Kumar stepping in and performing admirably despite a slow start. The Chhero Archers displayed exceptional gameplay from the outset, highlighted by the performances of Atanu Das and world number one compound archer Matthias Fullerton.

In the upcoming matches on Friday, the reigning champions Rajputana Royals will face the Cholaa Chiefs, who currently sit at the bottom of the points table. The second match will feature the Prithviraj Yoddhas against the local team Kakatiya Knights, followed by a showdown between the Mighty Marathas and Chhero Archers.