Hyderabad, October 8 (Daily Kiran) : The Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 kicked off in Hyderabad on October 8, where the Rajputana Royals secured a thrilling 5-3 victory against the Prithviraj Warriors.
In a high-scoring match, the Royals were propelled by the exceptional performances of compound archers Ojas Devtale and world number one Ella Gibson. Their early success set the tone for the match, while Tokyo Olympic recurve champion Mete Gazoz played a crucial role, consistently turning the tide in favor of the Royals as the countdown clock approached zero.
Under the leadership of Abhishek Verma, the Warriors struggled initially but showed resilience. They had a chance to force a ‘hit-or-miss’ shoot-off with the final arrow. However, Mexico’s Matthias Grande scored an 8, which ultimately proved detrimental for the team.
The APL is the world’s first franchise-based archery league, initiated by the Archery Association of India. It features six teams and a total of 48 archers, including 36 Indian talents and 12 top international stars.
Taking place at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad, the league will culminate in a grand finale on October 18, where the top four teams from the semifinals will compete for the championship title.
The Royals started strong, winning the first set 73-69. Grande’s initial score of 7 put the Warriors behind, forcing them to fight back. Devtale and Gibson created a positive atmosphere for their team, while India’s Ankita Bhakat provided solid support to Gazoz.
Verma opened the second set with a score of 10, and all four archers began strongly, resulting in a tie at 37-37 by the halfway point. Grande made a comeback with a stunning 10 on the final arrow. Had Gazoz also scored a 10, the Royals would have claimed the set, but his score of 9 led to a split in points, allowing the Warriors to level the match at 2-2.
Before the third set, the Warriors made a strategic change, bringing in Andrea Becera for Raj Kaur. Both teams’ compound stars were in excellent form, with Devtale and Verma starting with impressive X-ring 10s, followed closely by Gibson and Becera.
With time pressure mounting, Gazoz and Grande managed to release their final arrows just in time. Grande needed a 10 to draw the set for the Warriors, which he achieved, resulting in a thrilling 77-77 tie.
The Royals began the fourth set with three perfect 10s, taking a 39-37 lead halfway through and edging closer to victory. The 16-year-old Gatha Anandarav Khadake had a rollercoaster match but managed to score a 10 on her last arrow, giving her team a shot at the shoot-off. Gazoz excelled with a final X score, while Grande could only manage an 8.
On the second day of competition, the first match will feature Kakatiya Knights against Chola Chiefs. The defending champions, Rajputana Royals, will continue their campaign against the Chero Archers, followed by a match between Mighty Marathas and Prithviraj Warriors.
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