JoannaCostantino at 09:46, 28 January 2026

2026-01-28T09:46:51Z

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{{Short description|Indian archery league}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2025}}
{{Use Indian English|date=September 2025}}
{{Infobox sports league
| name = Archery Premier League
| image = Archery Premier League.png
| title = Archery Premier League
| current_season = 2025 Archery Premier League
| last_season =
| country = {{IND}}
| administrator = [[Archery Association of India]]
| headquarters =
| sport = [[Archery]][[File:Archery pictogram.svg|30px]]
| founded = {{start date and age|2025}}
| tournament_format = [[Round-robin tournament|Double round-robin]]<br>[[Single-elimination tournament|Knock-out]]
| inaugural = [[2025 Archery Premier League|2025]]
| folded =
| teams = [[#Teams|6]]
| champion = [[Rajputana Royals]]
| champ_season = [[2025 Archery Premier League|2025]]
| most_champs =
| tv = [[SonyLIV]]
| website =
}}

'''Archery Premier League''', abbreviated as '''APL''', is a professional [[archery]] league based in India.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archery Association announces Indian participants for inaugural season of Archery Premier League |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/sports/archery-association-announces-indian-participants-for-inaugural-season-of-archery-premier-league/ |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=The Tribune |language=en}}</ref> Organized by [[Archery Association of India]], the governing body for the sport, it is the first franchise-based archery league in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Archery Premier League: A new franchise league in India looking to revolutionise ancient sport |url=https://www.firstpost.com/sports/archery-premier-league-india-format-players-explained-13925805.html |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Firstpost |language=en-us}}</ref> The first edition of the league was launched in 2025 in [[New Delhi]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=2025-08-18 |title=Deepika Kumari, Dhiraj, Abhishek Verma among top Indians named for inaugural Archery Premier League |url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/deepika-kumari-dhiraj-abhishek-verma-among-top-indians-named-for-inaugural-archery-premier-league/article69946593.ece |access-date=2025-09-06 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

==History==
The first edition of Archery Premier League was held at the [[Yamuna Sports Complex]] in [[New Delhi]] from 2 to 12 October 2025. The league is backed by both [[World Archery]] and [[World Archery Asia]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-18 |title=Top Indian archers to compete in inaugural Archery Premier League |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/archery/archery-premier-league-list-of-indian-participants-format-draft-system-deepika-kumari-atanu-das-dhiraj-bommadevara/article69946718.ece |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref> [[Prithviraaj Yodhas]], [[Kakatiya Knights]], [[Rajputana Royals]], [[Chero Archers]], Mighty Marathas and Chola Chiefs were announced as the six teams.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ganesan |first=Uthra |date=2025-09-18 |title=Archery Premier League — Franchise leagues in India turn over another leaf; top Indian archers set for contest |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/archery/archery-premier-league-apl-2025-announced-teams-full-list-of-players-complete-details-indians-in-action/article70066777.ece |access-date=2025-09-18 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref> [[Ram Charan]] was revealed to be the official brand ambassador of the league.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-09-18 |title=Global Icon Ram Charan to Champion Inaugural Archery Premier League as Brand Ambassador |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/other-sports/global-icon-ram-charan-to-champion-inaugural-archery-premier-league-as-brand-ambassador-1904543 |access-date=2025-09-18 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}</ref>

==Format==
Archery Premier League features 36 Indian archers and 12 top foreign archers who will be divided into six franchises. A draft system was followed instead of an auction for the inaugural edition of the league.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-27 |title=Inaugural Archery Premier League to begin on October 2 |url=https://sportstar.thehindu.com/archery/archery-premier-league-to-begin-on-october-2-india-schedule-teams-format-news/article69982323.ece |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Sportstar |language=en}}</ref>

Each franchise comprises eight members, four men and four women.<ref>{{Cite web |title=India's elite archers to star in first-ever Archery Premier League |url=https://www.mid-day.com/sports/other-sports/article/deepika-jyothi-abhishek-among-big-names-for-inaugural-archery-premier-league-23589977 |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=Mid-day |language=en}}</ref> Each team includes up to two foreign archers, with at least one of them required to be part of the playing four. The league has mixed team duels in recurve and compound. Round robin fixtures will see 3 matches per day, each lasting 20 minutes. The arrow shooting time has been reduced to 15 seconds from the internationally allotted 20 seconds.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-08-12 |title='To create Olympic warriors' – India's new Archery Premier League aims for bull's eye |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/sports/sport-others/archery-premier-league-india-olympic-warriors-10185183/ |access-date=2025-09-06 |website=The Indian Express |language=en}}</ref>

==Teams==
{{location map+
|India3
|float=right
|alt= Locations of the APL teams
|caption= Locations of the Archery Premier League teams
|places=
{{location map~
|India
|lat= 23.610182
|long= 85.279938
|label= [[Chero Archers]]
|position=right}}
{{location map~
|India
|lat= 11.127123
|long= 78.656891
|label= Chola Chiefs
|position= right}}
{{location map~
|India
|lat= 18.112436
|long= 79.019302
|label= [[Kakatiya Knights]]
|position= right}}
{{location map~
|India
|lat= 18.9068356
|long= 75.6741579
|label= Mighty Marathas
|position= left}}
{{location map~
|India
|lat= 28.704060
|long= 77.102493
|label= [[Prithviraaj Yodhas]]
|position= right}}
{{location map~
|India
|lat= 27.023804
|long= 74.217934
|label= [[Rajputana Royals]]
|position= left}}
|width= 350}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Team
! State
! Coach
|-
! [[Chero Archers]]
| [[Jharkhand]]
| [[Purnima Mahato]]
|-
! Chola Chiefs
| [[Tamil Nadu]]
| Sonam Tshering Bhutia
|-
! [[Kakatiya Knights]]
| [[Telangana]]
| [[Rahul Banerjee (archer)|Rahul Banerjee]]
|-
! Mighty Marathas
| [[Maharashtra]]
| Pravin Sawant
|-
! [[Prithviraaj Yodhas]]
| [[Delhi]]
| Lokesh Chand
|-
! [[Rajputana Royals]]
| [[Rajasthan]]
| Jiwanjot Singh Teja
|}

==Editions and results==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Season
! Winner
! Score
! Runner up
! Venue
! Teams
! Player Of The Tournament
|-
| [[2025 Archery Premier League|2025]]
! [[Rajputana Royals]]
| 4–4 (2–0)
| [[Prithviraaj Yodhas]]
| [[Yamuna Sports Complex]]
| 6
| [[Dhiraj Bommadevara]]* (RM)
[[Ankita Bhakat]]* (RW)

[[Mike Schloesser]]* (CM)

[[Ella Gibson]]* (CW)
|}
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Based on Average Arrow score after Matchday 12.

==Broadcasting==
* [[SonyLIV]]
* Archery+

==See also==
* [[Archery in India]]
* [[Sport in India]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.instagram.com/archerypremierleague/ Archery Premier League] on [[Instagram]]
* [https://x.com/ArcheryPL Archery Premier League] on [[Twitter]]

{{Sports leagues of India}}

[[Category:Professional sports leagues in India]]

{{Archery-competition-stub}}

Archery Premier League - Revision history

JoannaCostantino at 09:46, 28 January 2026