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By Ishaan Kapoor — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

Judo Campaign Faces Setback

India’s judo campaign for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has encountered a significant challenge with the withdrawal of Tulika Maan. The silver medallist from the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) due to three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. This development follows closely on the heels of another judoka, Arun Kumar, being ruled out after failing a dope test, further impacting India’s preparations for the Games.

Mukesh Kumar, president of the Judo Federation of India (JFI), confirmed Maan’s withdrawal, stating that she did not disclose her whereabouts as required. He emphasised that athletes are obligated to inform NADA of their location to facilitate timely testing. Maan has been called to the NADA office to address the matter.

Understanding Whereabouts Failures

The whereabouts system is a crucial anti-doping regulation designed to enable authorities to conduct random, unannounced out-of-competition testing on elite athletes. Athletes who are part of a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) are required to submit their location details every three months through the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) ADAMS platform or the Athlete Central app.

Additionally, these athletes must designate a specific 60-minute window each day during which they will be available at a particular location for testing. If a doping control officer visits during this designated hour and cannot locate the athlete, it may be recorded as a missed test. Failure to submit or update location details is known as a filing failure.

Under anti-doping rules, any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within a rolling 12-month period is considered an anti-doping rule violation. Such violations can lead to a ban ranging from one to two years. Maan now faces a potential two-year ban following her provisional suspension.

Impact on India’s Medal Hopes

Tulika Maan, a 27-year-old from Delhi, was considered one of India’s strongest medal prospects in judo for the Glasgow Games, particularly after securing a silver medal in the women’s +78kg category at the previous Commonwealth Games. Her absence significantly weakens India’s chances in the women’s heavyweight category.

This situation marks the second blow to India’s judo contingent, as Arun Kumar, who competes in the men’s -73kg category, was also pulled out of the Games. Kumar had been provisionally suspended by NADA for testing positive for an anabolic steroid during an out-of-competition dope test. He had a notable rise in recent years, winning gold at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup and the 2025 Taipei Asian Open, along with a bronze medal at the Hong Kong Asian Open.

The Indian judo team, which originally comprised 14 members with seven men and seven women, is scheduled to depart for Glasgow on July 27. The judo competitions are set to begin on July 31 and conclude on August 2. India had a successful outing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, with a six-member contingent securing three medals, including two silver and one bronze.

This is not an isolated incident for Indian athletes regarding whereabouts failures. Sprinter Hima Das received a 16-month retrospective suspension from NADA for three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, with her suspension running from July 22, 2023, to November 21, 2025. Boxer Parveen Hooda was also suspended by the International Testing Agency (ITA) for whereabouts failures, with her suspension running from April 2022 to March 2023, and she was stripped of her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games.

Maan’s withdrawal and provisional suspension underscore the strict adherence required to anti-doping regulations, particularly the whereabouts system, which is a critical component of maintaining fair play in sports. The Indian judo team’s events in Glasgow are scheduled to commence on July 31.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com