Defending Champions Rajputana Royals Triumph In Archery Premier League Opener
Home » Sports » Defending Champions Rajputana Royals Triumph In Archery Premier League Opener Source: PTI - Edited By: Rediff Sports Desk October 08, 2026 21:08 IST 4 Minutes Read The defending champions Rajputana Royals kicked off the second season of the Archery Premier League with a decisive 5-3 victory over Prithviraaj Yodhas, showcasing strong performances from their international and Indian archers. Photograph: Ruben Sprich/Reuters Key Points Defending champions Rajputana Royals secured a 5-3 victory over Prithviraaj Yodhas in the opening match of the second Archery Premier League season on Wednesday.
The Royals' win was spearheaded by strong performances from compound archers Ojas Deotale and world No 1 Ella Gibson, alongside Tokyo Olympic recurve champion Mete Gazoz. Prithviraaj Yodhas, led by Abhishek Verma, made a strong comeback but a crucial 8-point shot by Mexico's Mathias Grande in the final moments sealed their defeat.
The APL, the world's first franchise-based archery league, features six teams, 36 Indian archers, and 12 elite international stars, with the grand finale scheduled for October 18. The Royals demonstrated high energy and strategic play, winning the first set and maintaining their lead despite Yodhas' efforts to force a shoot-off.
Defending champions Rajputana Royals beat Prithviraaj Yodhas 5-3 in the opening match of the second edition of Archery Premier League here on Wednesday. With compound archers Ojas Deotale and world No 1 Ella Gibson leading the way with high-scoring arrows at the start, Royals also had Tokyo Olympic recurve champion Mete Gazoz to thank, as he repeatedly closed out the sets with the 120-second countdown winding down.
Royals Secure Opening Victory The Abhishek Verma-led Yodhas bounced back from a slow start and could have taken the match into a hit-or-miss shootoff with the final arrow too, but Mexico's Mathias Grande shot a costly 8 in the end. The world's first franchise-based archery league, APL comprises six teams and a total of 48 archers, with 36 Indians and 12 elite international stars.
The league will culminate on October 18 with the grand finale featuring the top four teams in the semifinal followed by the title clash. Match Highlights And Key Performances The Royals won the first set Royals 73-69 as Grande's 7 with his first arrow put Yodhas on the backfoot and playing catch-up.
Deotale, who was the source of the Royals' high energy just as he was last season, set the tone for the Royals along with Gibson, while India's Ankita Bhakat played able support to Gazoz. Verma started the second set with a 10 as it was a good start from all four archers, with the score tied 37-37 halfway through.
Grande then bounced back with a sensational 10 off the final arrow with the clock winding down. Gazoz could have won the set for Royals with a 10 but his 9 meant both teams would have split points for the set.
But one of the arrows was corrected after the end of the set, which saw the Yodhas bounce back into the match to make it 2-2. Intense Battle And Decisive Moments Before the third set, Yodhas made a change as Andrea Becerra came in to replace Raj Kaur.