Just days after India’s archers dominated the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the same stars are preparing for a very different challenge. The national colours have been replaced by franchise jerseys, teammates have become rivals and every arrow now carries the added pressure of a 15-second clock as the Archery Premier League Season 2 gets underway in Hyderabad on October 8.
India’s impressive nine-medal haul, including five golds, at the Asian Games has created a strong backdrop for the second edition of the franchise league. Among the standout performers was 17-year-old Kumkum Anil Mohod, who became the first Indian to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in women’s recurve archery.
Jyothi Surekha Vennam continued her reputation as one of India’s leading compound archers, while Sahil Rajesh Jadhav also finished the continental campaign with two gold medals. Now, those achievements will be put aside as the archers take on a new challenge at People’s Plaza on Hyderabad’s Necklace Road.
What makes Archery Premier League Season 2 different?
The second season will feature 48 archers across six franchises, with Indian and international athletes competing together across recurve and compound disciplines. The six teams are Rajputana Royals, Mighty Marathas, Chero Archers, Chola Chiefs, Kakatiya Knights and Prithviraj Yodhas.
The biggest tactical difference is the 15-second shot clock. Unlike the more deliberate rhythm associated with traditional international archery, the APL format forces athletes to make decisions and execute their shots within a compressed window. That adds another layer of pressure, where concentration and speed of execution become just as important as accuracy.
The league will follow a double round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals before the championship match on October 18.
Defending champions Rajputana Royals enter Season 2 looking to retain the title they won in the inaugural edition. Their squad features Olympic champion Mete Gazoz, British compound star Ella Gibson, Asian Games gold medallist Ankita Bhakat and former world champion Ojas Pravin Deotale. Chero Archers bring together Asian Games gold medallists Kumkum Anil Mohod and Sahil Rajesh Jadhav alongside Danish archer Mathias Fullerton and two-time Olympian Atanu Das.
Chola Chiefs have assembled a mix of established experience and emerging talent, with Asian Games double gold medallist Chikitha Taniparthi joining Brazil’s Marcus D’Almeida. Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari and World Championships medallist Rajat Chauhan add further experience. Mighty Marathas will be led by Asian Games silver medallist Dhiraj Bommadevara and feature international stars Mike Schloesser and Alejandra Valencia, while Kakatiya Knights will rely on multiple Asian Games gold medallist Jyothi Surekha Vennam, alongside international competitors including Nico Wiener and Elia Canales.
Prithviraj Yodhas will look to Andrea Becerra and former Asian Games champion Abhishek Verma, with Matias Grande, Gatha Khadake and Kirti Sharma also part of the squad.
The timing could hardly be more intriguing. India’s archers arrive in Hyderabad with confidence from their most recent continental campaign, but the APL offers a different test. Here, familiarity will not necessarily help. The athletes who stood shoulder to shoulder for India in Nagoya will now have to shoot against one another for franchise glory.
With the 15-second clock adding urgency to every end, Season 2 promises to test not only accuracy, but composure, adaptability and the ability to perform when there is no room for hesitation.
For Indian archery, the Asian Games created history. In Hyderabad, the next chapter begins with six franchises, 48 archers and a target that is considerably closer than it looks.
