Hyderabad, October 9, 2026: Defending champions Rajputana Royals began their title defence in style, defeating Prithviraaj Yodhas 5–3 in the opening match of the second season of the Archery Premier League (APL) in Hyderabad on October 8. The victory was a repeat of the previous season’s final, giving the Royals an encouraging start to their campaign. Source: Rediff/PTI
Royals Make a Strong Start
The Royals benefited from impressive performances by Indian compound archer Ojas Deotale, world No. 1 compound archer Ella Gibson of Great Britain, and Turkish recurve archer Mete Gazoz, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion.
Deotale and Gibson helped establish the team’s early scoring advantage, while Gazoz delivered important arrows under pressure as the contest progressed. Their combined efforts helped the defending champions secure the set points needed to win the match.
Match Score: Royals Win 5–3
The contest featured four sets, with the teams competing for set points. The official match scores were:
- Set 1: Rajputana Royals 75–69 Prithviraaj Yodhas
- Set 2: Rajputana Royals 73–74 Prithviraaj Yodhas
- Set 3: Rajputana Royals 77–77 Prithviraaj Yodhas
- Set 4: Rajputana Royals 76–75 Prithviraaj Yodhas
The Royals won the opening set convincingly, but the Yodhas responded in the second to level the match on set points. A tied third set kept the contest finely balanced before the Royals edged the fourth set to seal a 5–3 victory. Official match results
Yodhas Fight Back, but Grande’s Final Arrow Proves Costly
Led by Indian compound archer Abhishek Verma, Prithviraaj Yodhas fought back after their slow start and remained in contention until the final moments.
The Yodhas had an opportunity to force a shoot-off, but Mexico’s recurve archer Mathias Grande scored an 8 with his final arrow. That crucial miss left the team short of the score required to extend the contest, allowing the Royals to close out the match.
Despite the defeat, the Yodhas demonstrated their ability to challenge the defending champions and will look to recover in their upcoming fixtures.
Archery Premier League Season 2: What to Know
The Archery Premier League is a franchise-based competition featuring six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indian athletes and 12 international stars. The second season is being held in Hyderabad from October 8 to October 18, 2026.
The competition brings together leading recurve and compound archers, giving Indian and international athletes an opportunity to compete in a team-based format. The season is scheduled to conclude with the semifinals and final on October 18.
What’s Next for Rajputana Royals?
The opening win gives the Royals a positive start as they pursue another league title. However, with several fixtures remaining in the round-robin stage, consistency will be essential if they are to secure a place in the knockout rounds.
For Prithviraaj Yodhas, the narrow loss offers a reminder of how decisive individual arrows can be in a closely contested match. Both teams will now turn their attention to the remaining league fixtures as the race for the APL title continues.
Conclusion: Rajputana Royals opened their Archery Premier League 2026 campaign with a 5–3 win over Prithviraaj Yodhas in Hyderabad. Strong performances from Ojas Deotale, Ella Gibson and Mete Gazoz helped the defending champions overcome a determined challenge and take their first step towards retaining the title.
