Archery Premier League: Prithviraaj Yodhas Beat Chero Archers in Third Sudden Death; Mighty Marathas Claim First Win

Prithviraaj Yodhas produced one of the most dramatic victories of Archery Premier League Season 2, overcoming Chero Archers in a thrilling shoot-off that went into three rounds of Sudden Death in Hyderabad on Saturday. 

Mexican recurve star Matias Grande delivered the decisive inner-ring hit to seal the victory after the teams finished regulation time locked at 4-4.

Day 3 also witnessed Mighty Marathas register their first win of the season with a commanding 6-0 victory over Chola Chiefs, while Kakatiya Knights defeated defending champions Rajputana Royals 6-2 to inflict a second consecutive defeat on the title holders.

With the competition at People’s Plaza gathering momentum, Saturday’s action underlined the league’s distinctive format, where a single arrow can decide the outcome of an entire match.

The contest between Prithviraaj Yodhas and Chero Archers proved to be the highlight of the day, with neither team willing to surrender an advantage. Chero Archers entered the encounter in strong form, but Yodhas forced the match into a decisive shoot-off by winning the fourth set to level the regulation score at 4-4.

The first tiebreaker, based on the league’s hit-or-miss format, failed to separate the teams. All four archers from both sides missed the inner yellow ring, forcing the contest into Sudden Death. The format required one archer from each team to shoot alternately, with an immediate hit-or-miss decision determining the winner. Even then, the teams could not be separated in the first two rounds.

The breakthrough finally came in the third Sudden Death, when Grande struck the inner ring to give Prithviraaj Yodhas the victory. Chero’s Prithika Pradeep was unable to match the Mexican’s shot, bringing an extraordinary contest to an end. Grande acknowledged the fine margins involved in the decisive moment, describing the target as small and crediting a degree of luck alongside the quality of his shot. He also emphasised that the victory belonged to the entire team rather than the individual who delivered the winning arrow.

For Chero Archers, the defeat was particularly difficult after an otherwise strong performance. Kumkum Mohod, competing for the first time following her gold-medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games, produced impressive arrows, but her efforts were not enough to prevent the team’s first loss of the season.

Mighty Marathas Register First Victory

After losing their opening two matches, Mighty Marathas responded emphatically by defeating Chola Chiefs 6-0. Led by Dutch compound star Mike Schloesser and supported by Indian recurve archer Dhiraj Bommadevara, the Marathas won all three sets to complete a convincing victory without allowing the contest to reach a fourth set.

Schloesser, widely known as Mr Perfect, lived up to his reputation by shooting six 10s from six arrows. His accuracy gave the Marathas a strong foundation, particularly when the teams were separated by narrow margins. Chola Chiefs attempted to repeat the strategy they had employed on Day 2, sending their compound archers to shoot consecutively at the beginning of the set. However, Chikitha Taniparthi's two 9s prevented them from creating sufficient scoreboard pressure.

Despite a couple of 8s from the Marathas' recurve archers, their compound shooters ensured a 74-73 victory in the opening set. The second set featured a crucial contribution from Bommadevara, who produced a 10 with the clock winding down. The Marathas secured the set and moved into a commanding 4-0 lead. Taniparthi again struggled to find consistent accuracy, prompting Chola Chiefs to introduce Colombian archer Alejandra Usquiano, who had impressed on the previous day.

The substitution could not reverse the momentum. In the third set, Deepika Kumari and Marcus D'Almeida were unable to maintain the pressure, with their arrows falling outside the yellow scoring zone. The Marathas remained composed to win the set 74-72 and seal their first victory of the tournament.

The result leaves Chola Chiefs with two defeats from their first three matches, increasing the importance of their next outing.

The final match of the day saw Kakatiya Knights defeat defending champions Rajputana Royals 6-2, extending the Royals' difficult start to the season. Asian Games recurve bronze medallist Neeraj Chauhan was central to the Knights' success, producing crucial X-ring 10s under pressure. Compound archer Jyothi Surekha Vennam also delivered an impressive performance as the home-backed franchise recovered after losing the opening set.

Tokyo Olympic champion Mete Gazoz helped the Royals take the first set with a pressure 10, but the Knights responded strongly to take control of the contest. Chauhan and Vennam led the comeback, with the Knights ultimately securing a 6-2 win. They even came close to shooting a perfect 80 in the fourth set, only for the final arrow to land in the 9-ring. The score was nevertheless sufficient to complete the victory.

The result gave the Knights an important boost in front of the Hyderabad crowd, while the Royals will need to respond quickly if they are to defend their title.

The day's standout archers, each receiving a reward of ₹1 lakh, were Neeraj Chauhan in men's recurve, Ankita Bhakat in women's recurve, Rajat Chauhan in men's compound and Jyothi Surekha Vennam in women's compound.

Sunday's programme will see Chero Archers take on local franchise Kakatiya Knights, followed by Chola Chiefs against Prithviraaj Yodhas. Mighty Marathas will then face defending champions Rajputana Royals in the final match. Season 2 of the Archery Premier League features six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indians and 12 international competitors. The tournament runs until October 18, when the top four teams will contest the semifinals before the title clash.

After three days of competition, the results have offered contrasting storylines: the Marathas have revived their campaign, the Knights have strengthened their position with a victory over the champions, and the Yodhas have survived an extraordinary shoot-off. 

With narrow margins continuing to define the matches, the battle for the semifinal places promises further drama in Hyderabad.