New Delhi [India], September 12 (ANI): The Archery Premier League (APL) will return for its second season with 36 of India’s leading archers set to compete alongside 12 international stars from 10 different countries, in Hyderabad from October 8 to 18.
Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari and World Championship silver medallist Atanu Das lead the home recurve squad, alongside reigning Asian champion Dhiraj Bommadevara, according to a release.
India's compound section is equally stacked, anchored by multi-time World Cup and Asian Games champion Jyothi Surekha Vennam and Abhishek Verma, joined by former World Champion Ojas Pravin Deotale.
The domestic stars will go head-to-head against an International lineup featuring Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Mete Gazoz of Türkiye, Paris 2024 bronze medalist Casey Kaufhold of the United States, World No. 1 Marcus D’Almeida of Brazil, World No. 2 Ella Gibson of Great Britain, and Dutch compound legend Mike Schloesser, a former World Champion and four-time World Cup Final winner.
Adding further weight to the domestic lineup, all 12 members of the Indian squad heading to the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this month are part of the APL ecosystem, giving the league a direct connection to the country's immediate international campaign.
Speaking on the upcoming campaign, Anil Kamineni, Director, Archery Premier League, noted, “Following an incredible response to our inaugural season, we are ready to deliver an even bigger Season 2. Having the world’s top international archers join our league transforms the APL into a truly global spectacle, while continuing to give our Indian archers an invaluable competitive platform to test themselves directly against the best in the world.”
Selected on the basis of World Archery and national rankings, the 36-member Indian roster features a mix of established names and emerging talent, with 21 archers returning from the inaugural season and 15 making their APL debut.
Among the debutants are World Championships silver medallist Rajat Chauhan and World Cup stage gold medallist Ridhi, along with World University Games gold medallist Kushal Dalal and junior national champion Kirti Sharma, the release said.
Initiated by the Archery Association of India (AAI) with the support of the Government of Telangana, the six-franchise league will feature mixed-gender teams competing across the Recurve and Compound categories.
A key feature of the league remains its 15-second shot clock, which is five seconds faster than the standard Olympic timing. The format is designed to test decision-making, speed and composure while adding an additional layer of pressure to the team competition.
Season 2 will be staged over 11 days, from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm each evening, at People’s Plaza on Hyderabad’s Necklace Road, with the league looking to build on the audience engagement generated by its inaugural season, which saw Rajputana Royals claim the historic first title. The first edition recorded a significant share of its digital audience coming from younger viewers.
With an expanded field featuring established Indian names, emerging talent and some of the world's leading archers, Season 2 will look to further strengthen the domestic competition landscape while bringing the sport closer to a wider audience.
Complete roster for APL Season 2 :
Compound Men (India): Rishabh Yadav, Kushal Dalal, Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Abhishek Verma, Thirumuru Ganesh Mani Ratnam, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Shivshankar Sakharam Landkar, Aman Saini, Rajat Chauhan.
Compound Men (Foreign): Mike Schloesser (Netherlands), Mathias Fullerton (Denmark), Nico Wiener (Austria)
Compound Women (India): Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, Taniparthi Chikitha, Prithika Pradeep, Jasveer Kaur, Swati Dudhwal, Raj Kaur, Avneet Kaur.
Compound Women (Foreign): Andrea Maya Becerra Arizaga (Mexico), Ella Gibson (Great Britain), Alejandra Usquiano (Colombia),
Recurve Men (India): Bommadevara Dhiraj, Neeraj Chauhan, Yashdeep Bhoge, Atanu Das, Mrinal Chauhan, Rohit Kumar, Pawan, Abhyuday Amol Pakhale, Juyel Sarkar.
Recurve Men (Foreign): Marcus D’Almeida (Brazil), Matias Grande (Mexico), Mete Gazoz (Türkiye)
Recurve Women (India): Deepika Kumari, Kirti Sharma, Kumkum Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, Sangeeta, Simranjeet Kaur, Ridhi, Kondapavuluri Yuktha Sri, Gatha Anandrao Khadake.
Recurve Women (Foreign): Casey Kaufhold (USA), Alejandra Valencia Trujillo (Mexico), Elia Canales (Spain). (ANI)
Archery Premier League Season 2 to feature 36 Indian, 12 international archers
