Hyderabad, October 10: Mighty Marathas bounced back from consecutive defeats in style, beating Chola Chiefs 6-0 without dropping a set in the second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) here on Saturday.
Led by Dutch star Mike Schloesser and supported by Indian recurve archer Dhiraj Bommadevara, the Marathas secured their first victory of the tournament. The result marked Chola Chiefs’ second defeat in three matches.
Schloesser, popularly known as ‘Mr. Perfect’, delivered a flawless performance, hitting the 10-point zone with all six of his arrows to help his team dominate the contest.
The Chiefs began by deploying their compound archers back-to-back, repeating the strategy they used on Day 2. However, Chikitha Taniparthi’s two 9-point shots prevented them from building significant scoreboard pressure. Despite their recurve archers scoring a couple of 8s, the Marathas’ compound archers helped secure the opening set 74-73.
The Marathas strengthened their grip in the second set when Bommadevara produced a crucial 10 as the clock wound down, extending their lead to 4-0. Taniparthi again managed a pair of 9s, prompting the Chiefs to introduce Colombian archer Alejandra Usquiano, who had impressed on the previous day.
Chola Chiefs struggled to regain momentum in the third set. After a steady start from the compound archers, Deepika Kumari and Marcus D’Almeida failed to maintain the pressure, with their shots landing outside the yellow scoring zone.
The Marathas remained composed to take the set 74-72, sealing a comprehensive 6-0 victory before a fourth set was required.
The Archery Premier League, initiated by the Archery Association of India, features six franchises and 48 archers, including 36 Indians and 12 international stars. The competition is being held at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad and will conclude on October 18, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals before the title clash.
On Sunday, Chero Archers will face Kakatiya Knights, Chola Chiefs will meet Prithviraaj Yodhas, and Mighty Marathas will take on defending champions Rajputana Royals.