A perfect shot, nerves of steel and an extraordinary comeback made for a thrilling finish to the Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2. Mighty Marathas rose to the occasion when it mattered most, defeating Kakatiya Knights 6-2 in the grand final at Hyderabad’s People’s Plaza on Sunday, October 18.

Leading the charge was Indian recurve star Dhiraj Bommadevara, who delivered a sensational performance under pressure. His final arrow landed in the coveted inner X-ring, sealing the championship for the Marathas and capping off a memorable day for the archer.

From Defeat to Championship Glory

The road to the trophy was far from easy. The Marathas had suffered defeats against the Knights in their final league match and the first qualifier, leaving their opponents confident heading into the title clash. But the Marathas refused to give up. They defeated Prithviraaj Yodhas 5-3 in the second eliminator to secure another chance at the title, setting up a dramatic rematch against the team that had beaten them twice.

Their response was emphatic. “Believing in each other, keeping patience, and attack-attack-attack,” Dhiraj said, describing the team's winning formula. He also revealed that the squad had made no major changes in its approach after the earlier defeat, crediting the team's unity and trust in one another.

Dhiraj and Schloesser Deliver Perfect Precision

While Dhiraj's clutch shooting grabbed attention, Dutch compound archery star Mike Schloesser lived up to his nickname, ‘Mr. Perfect’, with a flawless 80 out of 80 in the final. Dhiraj was equally impressive, scoring 79 out of 80 to emerge as one of the standout performers of the championship.

The final began on an even note, with both teams scoring 75 points in the opening set. Dhiraj's decisive 10 helped the Marathas edge ahead of Neeraj Chauhan's 8. The momentum soon shifted in favour of the Marathas, with Dhiraj delivering two inner-10s in the second set. The Knights fought to force a shoot-off in the final set, but their archers could manage only 9s, allowing the Marathas to seal the title with a commanding 79-point set.

Tactical substitutions, including the introduction of Schloesser and Simranjeet Kaur, also helped strengthen the Marathas' final lineup.

A League Celebrating Archery's Best

Launched by the Archery Association of India, the Archery Premier League is the world's first franchise-based archery league. Season 2 featured six teams and 48 archers, including 36 Indian and 12 international competitors. Dhiraj was named the tournament's best male recurve archer, while Sangeeta won the female recurve honour. Mathias Fullerton claimed the male compound award, and Alejandra Usquiano took the female compound recognition.

Juan Carlos Holgado, Spain’s 1992 Olympic gold medallist and World Archery executive director, praised the Archery Association of India for its efforts in making the Archery Premier League a success. He also encouraged other countries to take inspiration from the APL, describing it as a model for bringing compound and recurve archers together in an engaging, television-friendly format that makes the sport more exciting and accessible to audiences.

For the Mighty Marathas, the championship was a reminder that even after repeated setbacks, patience, teamwork and precision can change the outcome when it matters most.