Glasgow: Tulika Maan withdrawn from Commonwealth Games squad following NADA suspension

By Rohan Gupta — 24 July 2026 — 4 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 after another judoka, Arun Kumar, was also ruled out of the Games for an anti-doping violation.

Mukesh Kumar, president of the Judo Federation of India (JFI), confirmed Maan’s withdrawal. He stated that Maan did not disclose her whereabouts, which is a requirement for athletes under NADA regulations. Kumar indicated that the matter is under investigation and that Maan has been called to the NADA office for further proceedings. He emphasised the athlete’s responsibility to provide whereabouts information to facilitate timely testing.

Maan’s provisional suspension means she faces a potential ban of up to two years under World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules. Her absence is a considerable blow to India’s medal prospects, as she was considered one of the strongest contenders in judo for the Glasgow Games. The Indian judo team’s competitions are scheduled to begin on July 31, with the team’s departure set for July 27.

Understanding Whereabouts Failures

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

A key requirement for RTP athletes is to designate a specific 60-minute time slot each day during which they will be available at a particular location for testing. If a doping control officer attempts to conduct a test during this window and the athlete is not found, it can be recorded as a missed test. Similarly, failing to submit or update location details is classified as a filing failure.

Under anti-doping regulations, 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. This system ensures that athletes can be tested at any time, preventing them from evading controls.

Maan’s case falls under this rule, as she accumulated three whereabouts failures within the specified 12-month timeframe. The notice from NADA regarding these failures led to her provisional suspension and subsequent withdrawal from the Commonwealth Games squad. Her situation highlights the strict adherence required to anti-doping protocols for athletes competing at an international level.

Impact on Indian Judo and Past Cases

The withdrawal of Tulika Maan marks the second significant setback for the Indian judo contingent in quick succession. Just a day prior, Arun Kumar, who competes in the men’s -73kg category, was also provisionally suspended. Kumar’s suspension came after he failed an out-of-competition dope test, testing positive for an anabolic steroid. He had recently achieved success, winning gold at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup and the 2025 Taipei Asian Open, along with a bronze at the Hong Kong Asian Open, and finished seventh at the Tashkent Grand Slam earlier this year, earning his selection for the Commonwealth Games.

Maan’s absence is particularly impactful as she is a highly accomplished judoka, having won a silver medal in the women’s +78kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. She also represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics and participated in the 2022 and 2024 World Championships. Her withdrawal significantly weakens India’s chances in the women’s heavyweight category, especially given the team had originally approved a 14-strong judo squad, with seven men and seven women.

This is not an isolated incident for Indian athletes. 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 also faced suspension by the International Testing Agency (ITA) for whereabouts failures, with her suspension active between April 2022 and March 2023, and she was stripped of her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games. These past cases underscore the stringent nature of anti-doping regulations and the consequences of non-compliance.

The Indian judo team had secured three medals at the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 with a six-member contingent, including two silver and one bronze. The current situation, with two judokas withdrawn before the start of the competition, has disrupted the team’s preparations ahead of the events scheduled from July 31 to August 2.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter