Hyderabad, Oct 11 (IANS) After losing by the barest of margins a day earlier, Chero Archers bounced back in some style to beat Kakatiya Knights 6-0 and continue their strong start to the second season of Archery Premier League here on Sunday.
Led by Atanu Das, who has been in strong form, Chero Archers made it three wins out of four matches so far and appear to be the team to beat in the early stages of the tournament. For the local franchise Kakatiya Knights, it is two wins and two defeats now.
The Knights made a significant change to their starting XI with Austrian compound star Nico Wiener making way for Shivshankar Landkar and he was in good form along with Jyothi Surekha Vennam. But the Archers have Das in terrific rhythm and have a strong compound squad with world No 1 Mathias Fullerton shooting ahead of Sahil Rajesh Jadhav, and the Danish was the highest scorer of the match with 59 out six arrows.
The world’s first franchise-based archery league, APL is initiated by the Archery Association of India and comprises six teams and a total of 48 archers, with 36 Indians and 12 elite international stars. The league, taking place at People’s Plaza in Hyderabad, will culminate on October 18 with the grand finale featuring the top four teams in the semifinals, followed by the title clash.
In the first set, a low 6 by Casey Kaufhold with the final arrow didn’t hurt Chero Archers as their first seven arrows were superb for 69 out of 70. In the second set, Atanu’s incredible arrow into the middle of the target face for an X was the highlight as Chero Archers stayed ahead comfortably. The third set was an absolute thriller with both teams tied 38-38 after four arrows each. But the Knights felt the pressure as they needed to win this set to stay alive. Atanu hit another 10 to make it 67-67, and then Kaufhold stepped up to hit another to close out a high-quality set and ultimately secure a comfortable win.
“Last year was tough for us, this time we have a super strong team and we are managing the time really well,” Atanu said after the match. Speaking about the time pressure, Kaufhold added: “I just see it as fun. When I look at the clock and it says 11 seconds, I am like, you know let’s go. What else can you do, other than step up and shoot a good arrow?”
On Monday, the action will get underway with Chero Archers taking on Mighty Marathas. The second match will be between defending champions Rajputana Royals and Chola Chiefs, who are blowing hot and cold in this season so far. In the third match, Prithviraaj Yodhas will be up against the local franchise Kakatiya Knights.
–IANS
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