New Delhi, Sep 26
Indian compound archer Rishabh Yadav, who is a World Championship and Asian Championship medallist, is excited for the opportunity to compete in the league, which also features five-time Olympian American Archer Brady Ellison, saying it will be great experience for him.
The Inaugural Archery Premier League, scheduled from October 2nd to 12th at the Yamuna Sports Complex in New Delhi, features top archers from India and around the globe.
It will feature six franchises (Prithviraj Yodhas (Delhi), Rajputana Royals (Rajasthan), Kakatiya Knights (Telangana),Mighty Marathas (Maharashtra), Chero Archers (Jharkhand), Chola Chiefs (Tamil Nadu) competing against each other for the ultimate prize.
Gurugram based Rishabh, representing the Chola Chiefs in the Compound Men's category, expressed his enthusiasm about the league's potential impact. "The Archery Premier League is a major milestone for our sport. It will provide archers with a prominent platform and bring archery closer to fans nationwide," Rishabh said.
"I'm really excited about the chance to go up against Brady Ellison. He is one of the best in the world, and facing him will be a great experience for me," he added.
Notably, the archer is also renowned to partner with Jyothi Surekha Vennam setting a mixed team world record (1431 points) at the Archery World Cup in Madrid in July 2025, achieving his personal best individual score of 716.
In August 2025, he made history by securing India's first-ever individual medal in archery at the World Games, winning a bronze in men's compound archery after defeating his mentor, Abhishek Verma, in the bronze medal match.
Under mentor Abhishek's guidance, Rishabh has garnered numerous accolades, including medals at the World Championships and Asian Championships, and is considered a rising star in Indian archery.
Rishabh adding on to the Archery Premier League being a big morale booster for enhancing visibility for the archery sport, shared, "We are really excited about the Archery Premier League starting this October. It will also serve as great preparation for the Olympics, as athletes will get the chance to compete on a bigger stage, play more matches, and gain valuable experience. It's a positive step both for the sport and for the players."
Rishabh also highlighted recent achievements, including India's strong performance in mixed team events at the World Championships, "Our experience over the past year has been very good. We performed well, and now with compound archery included in the mixed team event, our focus is stronger on achieving that missing Olympic medal. Even at the World Championships, we finished second in the mixed team event, which is a very positive sign for the future."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Rishabh's humility is so refreshing! Instead of boasting about his World Championship medal, he's excited to learn from international players. This is exactly the attitude we need in Indian sports.
As someone who follows archery globally, it's great to see India stepping up with a professional league. Brady Ellison's participation will raise the competition level significantly. Hope this league gets proper TV coverage.
The franchise names are so creative - Chola Chiefs, Prithviraj Yodhas! Love how they're incorporating historical elements. Hope this league gets as popular as IPL for cricket.
While the league is a good initiative, I hope they don't commercialize it too much like cricket. The focus should remain on developing talent and winning that elusive Olympic medal. Rishabh seems to have the right priorities though.
Rishabh defeating his mentor Abhishek Verma for bronze shows how competitive Indian archery has become! The mentor-student rivalry will make for great viewing in the league. Can't wait for October 2nd!
The mixed team world record with Jyothi is incredible! Hope they show these matches on DD Sports or at least stream them on YouTube. Archer
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