Archery Premier League: Mighty Marathas, Prithviraaj Yodhas, Rajputana Royals Win On Day 4

Archery Premier League: Mighty Marathas, Prithviraaj Yodhas, Rajputana Royals win on Day 4 (Image Source: IANS)

DDA Yamuna Sports Complex: Mighty Marathas defeated the Chola Chiefs, the Prithviraaj Yodhas secured their second consecutive win over the Chero Archers in a Shoot-Off, and the Rajputana Royals continued their strong form with a victory against the Kakatiya Knights on Day 4 of the Archery Premier League (APL) at the DDA Yamuna Sports Complex on Sunday.

Mike Schloesser opened the match for the Marathas in style, hitting a perfect 10 with his first shot. For the Chiefs, Rishabh Yadav responded with a solid nine. The following arrows saw both teams maintaining great focus, matching each other closely, and keeping the scores tight. However, the Marathas showed better consistency in the final few shots and managed to edge ahead. They clinched the first set 76–73, taking an early 2–0 lead in the match.

Yadav opened the second set for the Chiefs with a brilliant perfect 10, but Schloesser continued his fine form for the Marathas, matching him with a perfect 10 of his own. The Chiefs followed it up with another perfect 10, while the Marathas hit a 9 on their next attempt, though they took the shot quickly to save time.

The contest stayed tight as both teams continued to hit strong scores, keeping the pressure high. Then, Brady Ellison stepped up for the Chiefs and delivered a crucial perfect 10. His quick and accurate shot gave the Chiefs a slight edge and some breathing room. In the end, the Chiefs held their nerves and won the set 77–75, levelling the match at 2–2. Schloesser began the third set for the Marathas in style, hitting yet another perfect 10. However, Yadav couldn’t quite match him this time, scoring a nine for the Chiefs. Parneet Kaur then stepped up and added a perfect 10 to keep the pressure on, but Meeri-Marita Paas responded well.

The Marathas continued their consistent run of perfect 10s, maintaining a narrow lead. But the Chiefs fought back with a brilliant shot from Deepika Kumari, who hit a perfect 10 to keep her team in the contest. The tension rose as the Marathas slipped with a 9 on their next attempt, opening the door for the Chiefs. Ellison then delivered under pressure, hitting a crucial perfect 10 to level things up. The set ended 77–77, leaving the scores tied at 3–3 and setting up an exciting finish.

Schloesser once again began the fourth set in style, hitting a perfect 10 to give the Marathas a strong start. But Yadav was quick to respond for the Chiefs, matching him with a perfect 10 of his own. Parneet then continued the momentum for the Marathas with another perfect 10, but the Chiefs stayed right on their heels with a perfect 10 in reply.

The Marathas then slipped slightly, scoring a 9, which gave Yadav the chance to put the Chiefs ahead — and he did just that with another perfect 10. The contest remained tight as both teams traded points and kept the pressure high. Schloesser once again showed his class with another perfect 10, while Deepika managed a 9, allowing the Marathas to edge ahead.

Parneet maintained her fine form, hitting yet another perfect 10 to extend the lead. Ellison, however, couldn’t capitalise for the Chiefs this time, scoring an 8. In the final attempt, Dhiraj stepped up under pressure and delivered a crucial perfect 10 to seal the set 77–75 for the Marathas. With this, the Marathas won the match 5–3, finishing another intense and closely fought contest on a winning note.

Chero Archers vs Prithviraaj Yodhas

Abhishek Verma, the hero from the previous match for the Prithviraaj Yodhas, began the second match of Archery Premier League’s Day 4 in style with a perfect 10 in the opening set, giving his team an early boost against the Chero Archer, who responded strongly with a perfect 10 as well.

Andrea followed up for the Yodhas with another perfect 10 to make it 20–10, but the Chero Archers quickly equalised with yet another flawless shot, showing great composure under pressure. The Yodhas then slipped slightly, scoring an 8, while the Chero Archers maintained their rhythm, even though it was a 9, to take a narrow lead. Gatha Anandrao tried to pull the Yodhas back into contention with a perfect 10, but the Chero Archers once again matched it with a 10, refusing to let the advantage slip away.

In Yodhas’ final shot, Verma managed a 9, while Atanu Das stepped up for the Chero Archers and delivered a brilliant perfect 10 to seal the set 76–75, putting his team 2–0 ahead.

Verma opened the second set with a perfect 10 after taking a little extra time on his shot. The Chero Archers then levelled it, and the Yodhas replied with another perfect 10. Both teams traded points and kept the intensity high. Gatha hit a crucial perfect 10 for the Yodhas, and Atanu responded with a 10 for the Archers, though his side still trailed by two. The Yodhas added another perfect 10 to keep the pressure on, and the Archers answered with a 10 of their own. In the final moment, Verma scored a 9 — enough to win the set 77–76 and level the match at two points apiece.

Verma opened the third set with a perfect 10, and the Chero Archers replied immediately with a 10. The two teams traded strong shots, with Verma hitting another 10 before the Chero Archers answered with a perfect 10 to take the lead. Matias Grande then fired a perfect 10 to take the Yodhas back in the lead, but the Chero Archers matched him with a 10 to level the set again.

The Yodhas slipped with a 9 on the next shot, and Das hit a perfect 10 to put the Chero Archers in front. Andrea Becerra produced a perfect 10 for the Yodhas while the Chero Archers managed an 8 on that attempt. Verma then delivered an important 10 on the final arrow while Das scored 8, and the Yodhas won the set 76-75, moving 4–2 up in the match.

The Chero Archers began the fourth set with a perfect 10, showing great focus, while Verma quickly responded with a perfect 10 of his own to keep things level. Both teams continued to trade identical scores over the next few shots, keeping the contest tense and even. However, Gatha erred and hit an 8, giving the Chero Archers a narrow edge. But they followed up with a 9, but still held onto their slim lead.

Grande then stepped up for the Yodhas and hit a brilliant 10, while Das managed only an 8, swinging the momentum back towards the Yodhas. Gatha then shot another 8, and the Chero Archers responded with a 9 to stay just ahead. With the pressure on, the Yodhas needed a perfect 10 to stay alive — and Becerra delivered, hitting the bull’s-eye right when her team needed it most.

Das’s final shot landed as an 8, while Verma hit a 6, bringing the scores level once again and sending the thrilling match into a shoot-off to decide the winner. Verma once again proved his class in the shoot-off, hitting the bull’s-eye just like he did in the previous match to give his team an early lead. Gatha then followed up with another one, sealing the victory for the Yodhas.

Kakatiya Knights vs Rajputana Royals

The Kakatiya Knights got off to a strong start, opening the match with a perfect 10. Ojas Deotale, who has been in good form lately, began with an 8 for the Rajputana Royals. Jyothi Surekha Vennam then added another perfect 10, putting the Knights ahead. However, Deotale bounced back strongly and hit a perfect 10 at a crucial moment to close the gap. The Knights maintained their narrow lead for a while, but Ella Gibson’s flawless 10 brought the scores level again. Both teams continued to trade points with great accuracy and focus, keeping the contest intense till the final shot. In the end, the first set ended in a tie at 74-74, and both sides shared the points to start the match evenly.

The second set began with the Knights firing a perfect 10, giving them a strong start. Deotale kept the Royals in the hunt with a perfect 10. Both teams then traded points in the next few attempts, keeping the tension high and the scoreline tight. With just over 40 seconds left, Deotale displayed his experience and composure, hitting another perfect 10 to give the Royals a crucial edge. EGibson responded with a 9, and Ankita added 9 more. In the end, the set ended in a tie, making it 2-2.

The third set kicked off with the Knights starting strong, hitting a perfect 10. Deotale quickly matched it for the Royals, keeping the score level. Both teams continued to trade points, landing several perfect 10s in the next few shots, making it a closely-contested set. In the end, the Royals managed to edge past the Knights, winning the set 77-76. This gave them a 4-2 lead.

The second set began with the Knights firing a perfect 10, giving them a strong start. Deotale kept the Royals in the hunt with a perfect 10. Both teams then traded points in the next few attempts, keeping the tension high and the scoreline tight. With just over 40 seconds left, Deotale displayed his experience and composure, hitting another perfect 10 to give the Royals a crucial edge. EGibson responded with a 9, and Ankita added 9 more. In the end, the set ended in a tie, making it 2-2.

With this dominant performance, they secured the match 6-2, showcasing precision, consistency, and composure throughout.

Article Source: IANS