When Chero Warriors meet APL: World No 1 Mathias Fullerton finds new inspiration in India’s archery heartland

Only 22, Mathias Fullerton has climbed the ladder in archery at a neck-breaking pace, currently holding the No 1 rank in the compound men’s world standings. A European indoor and outdoor champion and a former world championships silver medallist, you would think the Danish archer has seen most of whatever is there to see in the archery world at a very young age, but then came his trip to India.

Fullerton is in India for the Archery Premier League (APL), taking place at the Yamuna Sports Complex in New Delhi. Created on the lines of the Indian Premier League, APL brings together some of the best archers in India and across the world for fast-paced team-based matches.

Each franchise in the Archery Association of India-organised event has a rare mix of recurve and compound archers and the players have only 15 seconds to shoot, rather than the normal 20 seconds.

Fullerton floored by Indian archers’ dedication

But while the quick-moving drama in APL has its own charm, it’s competing with the Indian archers and taking a leaf out of their book that has left the Chero Archers’ Danish member stunned on his maiden visit to India.

“I didn’t know pretty much anyone really from my team before coming here,” Fullerton told Firstpost. I” didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew Katharina (German archer Katharina Bauer is also in the same team) just a little bit because we shoot a lot in the same tournaments, but it’s been great knowing all the Indian shooters, who are very different.

“I would say they’re all very determined in kind of a different way than we are, maybe in Europe. They all really want to be in there and want to win. Suppose we all want, but the drive here in India is very cool to see."

Just one shooting session was enough for Fullerton to grasp the magnitude of how big the sport is in India.

“You know I came to the club here in Delhi and shot for the first time. There are so many archers there that I’m not used to back home in Denmark and it’s the first training session of the day and they’re all there to shoot. I would say that there’s a lot of determination here and a will to wanting to compete. That’s what I would say is very good here and a little different than sometimes back home.”

Archery has long been entrenched in India’s ancient and mythological tales. From Eklavya to Arjuna, the country’s historical texts are filled with legendary archers and their stories of fame and conquest.

However, they are yet to show the same prowess in modern-day sports, with a bronze medal match defeat at Paris 2024 being their best performance so far. The Los Angeles 2028 could bring an end to the long-agonising wait as compound archery is set to make its debut with the mixed team event.

Indian compound archers like Jyothi Surekha and Rishabh Yadav have done exceptionally well at the Asian Games and World Championships, winning multiple medals, including gold. And they could end the drought at LA 2028.

Fullerton, who recently won a compound archery mixed team gold at the World Games, feels India can be a tough contender three years from now, but he reckons Denmark are equally good.

“I think for most people, the Olympics is like the biggest thing you can ever do in any sport. And to have that open up now in compound archery, that I never really maybe thought we would get the chance, is just like such a big motivator,” he said. “It’s super exciting and we have some great shooters in Denmark, so I think we have a very good chance, like India also has very, very good chances.”

“So super excited. And I think it opens up more stuff like this and another reason why the APL could be such a big thing.”

Fullerton reflects on Chero Archers team name and background

Talking about how APL can help in his pursuit to win an Olympic medal, Fullerton said: “It’s very fast-paced. You have 15 seconds per arrow. It’s like there’s always something to watch and it changes from compound to recurve. You never really know what to expect. And I think that creates like an extra level of excitement.”

He also added that the APL has created quite a buzz back in Denmark and has the potential to bring new viewers to the sport.

“Normally, we shoot a lot of individual tournaments, which I might like, but I think the benefit of the Archery Premier League is that we shoot as a big team, which is both mixed, men and women, which we don’t do very often, and then also mixing compound and recurve archery, which never happens. I think it’s really cool and I think it makes like a great dynamic for the team,” Fullerton said.

“It’s very different than what I’m used to. At the end, I still have to shoot my own shot, but it’s a whole new level of excitement in watching archery. I’ve had friends from home who look at the videos and stuff from here and there. They’re like, damn, this looks way different and more fun to watch than what they normally see. So, I think that way it opens up things not only for people inside archery, but also outside, makes a whole new element of fun.”

The APL ends on 12 October, but if the Chero Archers miss out on the semi-finals, Fullerton will leave India earlier than expected. However, his nearly two-week stay in the national capital has been quite profound for the young archer, who also took time to learn about the historical significance of his team’s name and the owners, Tata Steel, who have run the oldest archery academy in India since 1996.

“I think it is very cool that all the teams have some meaning and it’s not just a name, but there’s actually something behind it. And I know Tata Steel is a very big supporter of many sports. The Tata Steel Academy sounds like a really great thing. I think that’s awesome that such a big company can support athletes in that way. That’s what every sport needs.”

Chero Archers take their name from the Chero warrior clan, a prominent tribal community hailing from present-day Jharkhand and neighbouring states, who are known for their bravery against the Mughal and British empires.