Archery league to start from October 2

The Archery Association of India (AAI) has announced that the inaugural Archery Premier League will be held in New Delhi from October 2 to 12 at the Yamuna Sports Complex. The AAI announced the format, introducing all six teams for the first edition on Thursday.

Prithviraj Yodhas (New Delhi), Mighty Marathas (Maharashtra), Kakatiya Knights (Telangana), Rajputana Royals (Rajasthan), Chero Archers (Jharkhand) and Chola Chiefs (Tamil Nadu) picked eight archers each in their squads for the inaugural league. Major national and international stars, including Brady Elison, Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das, will be part of the league.

"The launch of the Archery Premier League is a watershed moment for the sport in the country. Through this league, we wish to expand our reach across India, including rural and tribal regions. We are confident our archers will gain tremendous exposure through the league, which will prepare them for future events," AAI president Arjun Munda said.

The Korean and Chinese archers did not sign for the league but the AAI secretary general Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the development saying it was not a worry.

"We were only concerned with the archers who were willing to come and participate. There is a good chance they will take part in the next but it all depends on how well it is run. I am confident that this league is here to stay," Sachdeva said.

The league’s director Anil Kamineni said that World Archery was also excited about the league. "For the first time ever anywhere in the world, we will have combined teams of recurve and compound archers competing side-by-side," Kamineni said.