Archery Premier League: Chola Chiefs End Winless Streak in Thrilling Shoot-off; Top Seeds Stumble
Chola Chiefs stun Prithviraaj Yodhas in a shoot-off, while top teams Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights suffer shock defeats in APL Season 2.
It was a day of absolute chaos and unexpected turnarounds at the Archery Premier League Season 2 in Hyderabad. In a dramatic shift of momentum, the chasing teams dominated the field on Thursday, leaving the league's top three contenders—Mighty Marathas, Kakatiya Knights, and Prithviraaj Yodhas—to face stinging defeats.
The Great Escape: Chola Chiefs Break the Curse
The biggest story of the day belonged to the bottom-placed Chola Chiefs. Having suffered five consecutive losses since the second day of the tournament, the Chiefs finally found their mark in a heart-stopping encounter against the Prithviraaj Yodhas.
The match was a rollercoaster. The Chiefs initially looked set for a comfortable victory, securing the first two sets. They seemed to be cruising toward a win in the third set when recurve archers Marcus D’Almeida and Yuktha Sri Kondapavuluri hit the 7-ring. However, the Yodhas fought back, led by a superb 'X' from Gatha Khadake, to force the match into a 4-4 draw in regulation time.
The Hit-or-Miss Drama
The tension peaked during the "Hit-or-Miss" shoot-off. Colombia’s Alejandra Usquiano set the tone with a brilliant X, followed by another precise hit from India’s Yuktha Sri Kondapavuluri. With the other archers missing their marks, the Chiefs secured a 2-0 victory in the tiebreaker.
Usquiano was the star of the show, delivering one of the season's finest individual performances by scoring a perfect 80 out of 80 in regulation time. This victory lifts the Chola Chiefs to four points, keeping their hopes of a top-four finish alive, while the Yodhas remain on eight points.
Nightmares for the Toppers
While the Chiefs celebrated, the league leaders faced a disastrous day. Both Mighty Marathas and Kakatiya Knights entered the day with 10 points each, eyeing a playoff spot, but they were outclassed by determined opponents.
Marathas Falter Under Pressure
The Mighty Marathas suffered a nightmare start against the Rajputana Royals. In a shocking lapse, the Marathas failed to fire their eighth arrow in both the first and second sets, as Mrinal Chauhan and Alejandra Valencia were caught by the ticking clock. Despite recovering to win the third set, they fell 6-2. The match was highlighted by Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz, who displayed his elite class by hitting a 10 with barely any time remaining on the clock.
Knights Swept Aside
The Kakatiya Knights fared even worse, suffering a 6-0 clean sweep at the hands of the Chero Archers. The Knights were missing the in-form Neeraj Chauhan, and while backup Rohit Kumar recovered after a poor start with a 6, it wasn't enough. The Chero Archers remained clinical throughout, powered by the sensational duo of Atanu Das and compound world number one Mathias Fullerton.
The Road to the Grand Finale
The Archery Premier League, the world's first franchise-based archery league initiated by the Archery Association of India, features 48 archers (36 Indians and 12 international stars) across six teams. The action at Hyderabad's People's Plaza will culminate in a grand finale on October 18.
New Playoff Format Explained
Season 2 introduces a reward-based playoff system to ensure competitive fairness for higher-ranked teams:
- Top Two Teams: Will have two opportunities to qualify for the grand final on Sunday.
- Third and Fourth Place: Will battle in Eliminator 1 on October 17.
- The Path to the Final: The winner of Eliminator 1 moves to Eliminator 2. Meanwhile, the top two sides meet in a "Short-cut Decider"; the winner goes straight to the title clash, while the loser faces the winner of Eliminator 2 to determine the second finalist.
In other news, India’s Asian Games archery medallists, who are competing in the league, spent Thursday in Delhi meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi before returning to the competition.