Asian Games archery stars set for franchise battle as APL Season 2 begins in Hyderabad

Fresh from a nine-medal haul at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, India’s top archers will switch from teammates to franchise rivals as APL Season 2 begins in Hyderabad on October 8. Six franchises will compete with 48 archers until October 18.

Hyderabad: They stood together for India at the Asian Games. Now, they will line up on opposite sides. Fresh from a nine-medal haul, including five golds, at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, India’s archery stars will turn their attention to franchise honors when the second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) begins in Hyderabad on October 8.

That continental campaign produced individual breakthroughs and multiple gold medallists. Seventeen-year-old Kumkum Anil Mohod became the first Indian to win an individual Asian Games gold in recurve archery, while Jyothi Surekha Vennam helped India defend its women’s team gold and Sahil Rajesh Jadhav won two golds. In Hyderabad, they will carry that form into separate franchise squads, competing alongside and against some of the world’s leading archers.

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Running until October 18 at People’s Plaza on Necklace Road, APL Season 2 will feature 48 archers across six franchises, equally divided between men and women in recurve and compound events. The league’s 15-second shot clock adds another test, requiring archers to
make quick decisions and deliver under pressure.

Kumkum and Sahil will join forces for Chero Archers, with Danish star Mathias Fullerton and two-time Olympian Atanu Das adding international and Indian experience. Their Asian Games success gives the franchise two in-form Indian contenders as it prepares to challenge for the title.

Chola Chiefs will pair Asian Games double gold medallist Chikitha Taniparthi with Brazil’s Marcus D’Almeida. Four-time Olympian Deepika
Kumari and World Championships silver medallist Rajat Chauhan further strengthen a squad that combines emerging talent with established
names.

Defending champions Rajputana Royals will look to retain their crown with Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz and British compound star Ella Gibson. Asian Games gold medallist Ankita Bhakat, former world champion Ojas Pravin Deotale and Kushal Dalal add depth to their title
defence.

Archery Premier League Director Anil Kamineni said, “India’s Asian Games success gives the second season an exciting backdrop. Fans will
now see those medallists compete across rival franchises, alongside some of the best archers in the world. The quality of the squads and
the demands of the 15-second format should make for a closely contested league, while giving Indian archers another valuable
competitive opportunity.”