Deepika, Atanu, Dhiraj, Jyothi to headline Archery Premier League Season 2

File Image: Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das will headline the Indian recurve field at the second edition of the Archery Premier League. | Photo Credit: RAGU R

The second edition of the Archery Premier League (APL) will feature 36 Indian archers alongside 12 international competitors from 10 countries in Hyderabad from October 8 to 18.

Four-time Olympian Deepika Kumari, Atanu Das and reigning Asian champion Dhiraj Bommadevara will headline the Indian recurve field. Jyothi Surekha Vennam, Abhishek Verma and former World champion Ojas Pravin Deotale will be among the leading Indian names in the compound section.

The international field includes Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Mete Gazoz of Turkiye, Paris 2024 bronze medallist Casey Kaufhold of the United States, Brazil’s Marcus D’Almeida, Great Britain’s Ella Gibson and Dutch compound archer Mike Schloesser.

All 12 Indian archers selected for the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya later this month are also part of the league.

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The Indian roster was selected on the basis of World Archery and national rankings. Of the 36 archers, 21 return from the inaugural edition while 15 will make their APL debuts.

Rajat Chauhan, Ridhi, World University Games gold medallist Kushal Dalal and junior national champion Kirti Sharma are among the debutants.

The six-franchise competition, initiated by the Archery Association of India with support from the Telangana government, will feature mixed-gender teams across recurve and compound categories.

The league will retain its 15-second shot clock, five seconds shorter than the standard Olympic timing, placing an additional emphasis on quick decision-making and composure.

Matches will be held from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm at People’s Plaza on Hyderabad’s Necklace Road.

Rajputana Royals won the inaugural edition of the competition.

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)