APL Season 2: Kakatiya Knights top table with 6-0 rout of Mighty Marathas
Synopsis
Kakatiya Knights cruised to a 6-0 win over Mighty Marathas to finish APL Season 2's round-robin as table-toppers, with compound stars Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam shooting a flawless 60/60 in gusty Hyderabad conditions. World Archery chief Juan Carlos Holgado was watching — and said the rest of the world should take notes.
Key Takeaways
Kakatiya Knights beat Mighty Marathas 6-0 (set scores: 77-69 , 72-64 , 78-74 ) on 17 October to finish as APL Season 2 round-robin table-toppers .
Compound archers Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam were flawless, shooting 60 out of 60 despite gusty conditions at People's Plaza, Hyderabad .
Mighty Marathas rested recurve star Dhiraj Bommadevara for the first two sets and registered sub- 70 scores before improving to 74 in the third set.
World Archery Executive Director Juan Carlos Holgado , a 1992 Olympic gold medallist , praised the APL and called on other nations — including South Korea and the US — to study its format.
Kakatiya Knights and Mighty Marathas meet again in the first qualifier on Sunday, 18 October , with a place in the grand finale at stake.
Kakatiya Knights sealed the top spot in the Archery Premier League (APL) Season 2 round-robin standings with a dominant 6-0 victory over Mighty Marathas at the People's Plaza on Necklace Road, Hyderabad, on Saturday, 17 October. The result sends the Telangana franchise into Sunday's first qualifier on the back of a commanding home performance.
How the Match Unfolded
With both sides already guaranteed a top-two finish, Saturday's contest was effectively a preview of Sunday's first qualifier — but Kakatiya Knights left nothing to chance. Lead compound archers Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam were near-perfect, combining for a flawless 60 out of 60 despite gusty conditions on Necklace Road.
Mighty Marathas chose to rest their recurve star Dhiraj Bommadevara for the opening sets and struggled badly, posting sub-70 scores in the first two sets. When Dhiraj and international recurve archer Alejandra Valencia came on in the third set, the Marathas improved to 74 — but by then Knights had already surged ahead, posting a superb 78 to wrap up the match.
Notably, Knights also had the luxury of resting their in-form recurve star Neeraj Chauhan, underlining the squad depth that made them table-toppers.
Final Scores — Day 10
Match 1: Kakatiya Knights 6-0 Mighty Marathas — Set scores: 77-69, 72-64, 78-74.
World Archery Chief's Praise for APL
Juan Carlos Holgado, the 1992 Olympic gold medallist for Spain and World Archery Executive Director, praised the Archery Association of India (AAI) for the league's success. He said other nations should treat the APL as a case study in creating a broadcast-friendly, team-based archery format that blends compound and recurve disciplines.
'There are not many federations that have the power, the muscle, the financial resources to put this in place,' Holgado said. 'World Archery is happy to support this. Hopefully, some of the countries take a similar model, but I don't see this happening in the short term.'
He added that archery powerhouses such as South Korea and the United States were closely watching the APL format. 'This mix of compound recurve, this team spirit, this identity with the culture of the country is a very good concept,' he said.
What Comes Next
On Sunday, 18 October, Kakatiya Knights and Mighty Marathas face off again in the first qualifier to decide the league's first finalist. The losing side will return for a second chance in Eliminator 2 against the winner of Eliminator 1. The season culminates in the grand finale, which will bring the curtain down on APL Season 2.
The APL, launched as the world's first franchise-based archery league by the AAI, features six teams and 48 archers — 36 Indians and 12 elite international stars — representing a watershed moment for the sport's commercial evolution in India.
Point of View
However, may be Juan Carlos Holgado's endorsement: when the World Archery chief publicly tells Korea and the US to watch an Indian league and learn, it signals that the APL is no longer a domestic experiment but a potential global template. India has historically struggled to monetise individual sports into franchise leagues; APL Season 2 appears to be genuinely changing that calculus.
NationPress
17 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the result of the Kakatiya Knights vs Mighty Marathas match in APL Season 2?
Kakatiya Knights defeated Mighty Marathas 6-0 in the Day 10 match of APL Season 2 on 17 October in Hyderabad. The set scores were 77-69, 72-64, and 78-74 in favour of the Knights.
Who starred for Kakatiya Knights in their 6-0 win?
Compound archers Nico Wiener and Jyothi Surekha Vennam were outstanding for Kakatiya Knights, shooting a combined 60 out of 60 in gusty conditions at People's Plaza, Necklace Road, Hyderabad.
What is the Archery Premier League (APL)?
The Archery Premier League is the world's first franchise-based archery league, initiated by the Archery Association of India. It features six teams and 48 archers — 36 Indians and 12 international stars — combining both compound and recurve disciplines in a broadcast-friendly team format.
What happens next in APL Season 2 after the round-robin stage?
Kakatiya Knights and Mighty Marathas face each other in the first qualifier on Sunday, 18 October, with the winner advancing directly to the grand finale. The loser returns in Eliminator 2 against the winner of Eliminator 1 for a second chance at the title.
What did World Archery's executive director say about the APL?
Juan Carlos Holgado, 1992 Olympic gold medallist for Spain and World Archery Executive Director, praised the AAI's efforts and said countries like South Korea and the United States should study the APL's format. He described the mix of compound and recurve archery in a team setting as 'a very good concept'.
