Glasgow Commonwealth Games: Judoka Tulika Maan withdrawn after NADA suspension

By Arjun Nair / 24.07.2026

By Arjun Nair — 24 July 2026 — 4 min read

Judoka Tulika Maan Withdrawn from Glasgow Games

Tulika Maan, a silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games, has been withdrawn from the upcoming Glasgow Games. This decision follows a provisional suspension issued by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) due to three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. Her withdrawal marks a significant setback for India’s judo contingent, which is scheduled to compete from July 31 to August 2.

The 27-year-old judoka from Delhi, who secured a silver medal in the women’s +78kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, was considered a strong medal contender for India in Glasgow. Her provisional suspension could lead to a two-year ban under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules.

Mukesh Kumar, president of the Judo Federation of India (JFI), confirmed the development, stating that Maan did not disclose her whereabouts as required. He mentioned that the matter is currently under investigation and that Maan has been called to the NADA office for a hearing. Kumar emphasised that athletes are obligated to disclose their whereabouts to NADA to facilitate timely testing.

This incident follows closely on the heels of another setback for the Indian judo team. Just a day prior, Arun Kumar, a judoka in the 73kg category, was also ruled out of the Glasgow Games. His ineligibility stemmed from an adverse analytical finding in an out-of-competition test conducted by NADA, where he tested positive for an anabolic steroid. Kumar had recently achieved notable successes, including a gold medal at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup and another gold at the 2025 Taipei Asian Open, along with a bronze medal at the Hong Kong Asian Open. He also finished seventh at the Tashkent Grand Slam earlier this year, which led to his initial selection for the Commonwealth Games.

Understanding Whereabouts Failures

The whereabouts system is a crucial component of anti-doping regulations, designed to enable anti-doping 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 WADA’s ADAMS platform or the Athlete Central app.

These athletes must also 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 the athlete cannot be located, it may be recorded as a missed test. Similarly, failing to submit or update location details is classified as a filing failure.

Under anti-doping rules, any combination of three missed tests or filing failures within a rolling 12-month period constitutes an anti-doping rule violation. Such violations can result in a ban ranging from one to two years. The rules mandate that RTP athletes provide a full address for their overnight location, the name and full address of each location where they train, work, or engage in other regular scheduled activities, along with the usual time frame for each activity.

Impact on India’s Judo Campaign

The withdrawal of Tulika Maan is a significant blow to India’s medal prospects in judo at the Glasgow Games. Maan is recognised as one of the country’s most accomplished judokas, having represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics and participated in the 2022 and 2024 World Championships. Her absence, coupled with Arun Kumar’s suspension, has disrupted the team’s preparations even before the competition begins.

The Indian judo team, originally comprising 14 members with seven men and seven women, is scheduled to depart for Glasgow on July 27. In the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, India’s six-member contingent secured three medals, including two silver and one bronze. The current situation raises concerns about India’s performance in the women’s heavyweight category and the overall medal tally for the sport.

This is not an isolated incident for Indian athletes regarding whereabouts failures. Sprinter Hima Das previously 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 active between April 2022 and March 2023. Hooda was also stripped of her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games.

The Indian judo team’s competition schedule in Glasgow is set to commence on July 31.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com