APL: Indian archers have outdone internationals, says 5-time Olympic medallist Ellison

Five-time Olympic medallist Brady Ellison, playing in the Archery Premier League (APL), praises India’s growth in archery, noting that Indian archers are emerging as formidable competitors. He believes the APL could inspire future generations of archers worldwide

New Delhi: Five-time Olympic medallist Brady Ellison, who is playing in the Archery Premier League (APL), the world’s first professional archery league, believes that Indian archers have given tough competition to overseas players while praising the growth of the sport in the country.

Ellison, who is representing the Chola Chiefs in the tournament, was impressed by India’s remarkable achievement in successfully hosting the APL and said that the tournament’s format was challenging for archers from around the world.

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“It’s incredible what they have been able to achieve. I believe archery has remained unchanged for a long time, and we are all accustomed to the formats we shoot. But being a Premier League, the best league in the world, they have established a format that makes it challenging for all archers worldwide,” Ellison told media.

“I am ranked number one in the world, a feat I have achieved multiple times, and I hold five Olympic medals. This is the most challenging tournament I have ever participated in. It is fantastic to witness that, and I think this league has accomplished many things. No one really expected this league to do so much.”

“I know the main goal was to bring together top international shooters and help India improve so that they can win medals. We all totally understand that, but it is so much more than that. I believe the timing of the format and its difficulty essentially mean that when it takes off, it will create something that everyone will want to be part of,” he added.

“It will inspire kids all around the world, not just in India, to wish to be invited to this league at some point in their careers. This could become one of the pinnacle moments – if you get invited to the APL, it might be as significant as making the Olympic team. I think it’s a wonderful and amazing achievement that they have managed to accomplish,” Ellison further stated.

Ellison also believes that Indian archers are improving rapidly and emerging as formidable competitors against internationals. The 37-year-old pointed out the dominance of India’s compound archers while also noting the progress of the recurve side.

“Indian archers are keeping pace with all the internationals, and their stats are getting better and better, which just shows that India is close to winning an Olympic medal. The shooters in India are dominant, with their compound side being very strong; they are among the world’s best shooters. Even on the recurve side, you have people making the World Cup final, you have people in the top 10 in the world, and these guys have a great chance. Given the difficulty of the system, Indian archers have probably outdone the internationals,” he said.