Published: September 12, 2026 at 9:57 pm
Hyderabad is set to host the second season of the Archery Premier League (APL), featuring world-class legendary archers. The league will take place over 11 days, from October 8 to 18, at People’s Plaza on Necklace Road. This season will see 36 top Indian archers competing alongside 12 international archers from 10 countries.
In the Recurve category, four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, World Championship silver medalist Atanu Das, and Asian Champion Bommadevara Dhiraj are leading the Indian contingent.
In the Compound category, World Cup and Asian Games winner Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Abhishek Verma, and former World Champion Ojas Pravin Deotale are set to compete.
International stars competing in the event include Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Mete Gazoz (Türkiye), Paris 2024 bronze medalist Casey Kaufhold (USA), world No.1 Marcus D’Almeida (Brazil), world No.2 Ella Gibson (Great Britain), and four-time World Cup Final winner Mike Schloesser (Netherlands), among others.
Notably, the 12 Indian archers selected for the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Aichi-Nagoya later this month, are also participating in this league.
Of the 36 archers in the Indian contingent, 21 participated in the inaugural season, while 15 are making their debut. World Championship silver medalist Rajat Chauhan, World Cup gold medalist Ridhi, World University Games gold medalist Kushal Dalal, and Junior National champion Kirti Sharma are among those making their debut this season.
Special Attraction: 15-Second Shot Clock
A key highlight of this league is the ’15-second shot clock.’ This is five seconds shorter than the standard Olympic time limit (20 seconds). It will test the archers’ decision-making speed, pace, and ability to handle pressure.
Telangana govt to support Archery Premier League to accelerate growth of archery
Speaking about the league, APL director Anil Kamineni stated that, following the tremendous response to the inaugural season, they are gearing up to host the second season on an even grander scale. He noted that the participation of world-class archers has transformed the league into a global event, providing Indian archers with a platform to compete against international legends.
Rajputana Royals emerged as the winners of the first season. This time as well, six franchises, comprising mixed-gender teams (men and women), will compete in both Recurve and Compound categories.
The Archery Association of India is organizing this league with the support of the Telangana government.
APL Season 2 roster:
Compound Men (India): Rishabh Yadav, Kushal Dalal, Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, Abhishek Verma, Thirumuru Ganesh Manirathnam, Ojas Pravin Deotale, Shivshankar Sakharam Landge, Aman Saini, Rajat Chauhan.
Compound Men (International): Mike Schloesser (Netherlands), Mathias Fullerton (Denmark), Nico Wiener (Austria).
Compound Women (India): Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Parneet Kaur, Madhura Dhamangaonkar, Taniparthi Chikitha, Preetika Pradeep, Jasveer Kaur, Swati Dudhwal, Raj Kaur, Avneet Kaur.
Compound Women (International): 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, Zuyel Sarkar.
Recurve Men (International): Marcus D’Almeida (Brazil), Matias Grande (Mexico), Mete Gazoz (Türkiye).
Recurve Women (India): Deepika Kumari, Keerthi Sharma, Kumkum Anil Mohod, Ankita Bhakat, Sangeeta, Simranjeet Kaur, Ridhi, Kondapavuluri Yuktha Sri, Gatha Anandarao Khadake.
Recurve Women (International): Casey Kaufhold (USA), Alejandra Valencia Trujillo (Mexico), Elia Canales (Spain).
