Finally, Mike Schloesser was a big part of the Mighty Marathas and travelled to Delhi with his wife, Gaby, and their daughter, Luna.
“It was something unique, something definitely new,” said the Dutchman. “I had a lot of fun shooting my bow – probably the most fun I’ve had in a long while – so I’m definitely already missing it. I really hope that it it comes off the ground and we’re going to have more additions in the upcoming years. I look forward to more.”
“The people are crazy in a good sense. The first day, I didn’t even know the people, but at the end, they were like really good friends. You just get a bond with seven random people, and you need to make it work – that’s something new as well. Normally you shoot for your own country, speak the same language, do the same things – but here you’ve got seven random people you just need to connect with, and the quicker you do, the better.”
“It was tight – something they definitely need to work on,“ Schloesser added on the short 15-second shot clock. “You can’t just make a shot like you normally do. I think it made it interesting, but if you constantly had to shoot with 15 seconds, it would be bad. You’d lose a lot of precision because you’d just go for speed, and that’s not what you want as a professional athlete. But for once in a while, it’s definitely good. Would I like it in every tournament? Definitely not!”
With at least one more instalment planned next year – and possibly some surprises in store, rules-wise – the Archery Premier League could become a major chapter in archery’s future. Watch this space.
With thanks to Iwan Blakeway.
