Mighty Marathas, Rajputana Royals, Chola Chiefs win as Archery Premier League kicks
New Delhi: In their first match of the season against the Chola Chiefs, the Chero Archers fought valiantly in a tight contest but were unable to clinch the win. Four archers —Mathias Fullerton, Katharina Bauer, Prithika, and Atanu Das — took to the field and displayed great dedication and skill.
Chola Chiefs (starring Deepika Kumari and Brady Ellison) edged out Chero Archers to secure the opening win of the APL Season 1, winning 5-1. In a closely contested match, the Chiefs won the first set 77-73 and moved to four points by winning the second set 75-74. The two teams split the points in the third set, which ended in a tie at 76-76.
Earlier, the official kit of the Chero Archers was launched, marking a notable moment in Tata Steel’s sustained support for Indian sports, especially archery. D B Sundara Ramam, Vice President Corporate Services, Tata Steel, Manish Mishra, Chief CRE Tata Steel and Mukul Vinayak Choudhari, Chief Sports Tata Steel were present during the event. The creation of the team continues Tata Steel’s legacy of nurturing talent through the Tata Archery Academy, which has produced Olympians, award‑winning coaches, and champions.
Based in Jharkhand, the Chero Archers take their name from the Chero dynasty, a symbol of courage, strength, and cultural heritage. The team seeks to honor that spirit while elevating archery across India.
Earlier, the inaugural Archery Premier League (APL) kicked off at the Yamuna Sports Complex in the national capital, but not before rain threatened a washout. However, the skies cleared in time for the arrows to fly, which saw three exhilarating matches of the first round-robin phase.
The evening on Thursday began on a glamorous note, with global superstar Ram Charan, a renowned figure in the cinema world, gracing the opening ceremony as the brand ambassador of APL. Also present on the occasion was another film star, Randeep Hooda, who co-owns the Prithiviraaj Yodhas.
The second match of the day had Kakatiya Knights facing Mighty Marathas, and the Marathas overwhelmed their opponents 6-0, winning the three sets 73-66, 77-72, 78-71.
The day concluded with Rajputana Royals blanking Prithviraaj Yodhas 6-0. They won the three sets 75-72, 74-72, 77-74.
