Glasgow: Tulika Maan withdrawn from Commonwealth Games due to whereabouts failures

By Sanjay Menon — 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 judoka, a 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 Indian judoka, Arun Kumar, being ruled out after failing a dope test.

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 for testing purposes. Maan has been called to the NADA office to address the matter.

The provisional suspension means Maan, who was considered a strong medal prospect for India in Glasgow, now faces a potential ban of up to two years under anti-doping regulations. Her absence is a considerable blow to India’s medal hopes, particularly in the women’s +78kg category where she previously secured a silver medal.

Understanding Whereabouts Failures

The whereabouts system is a critical component of anti-doping efforts, designed to enable authorities to conduct random, unannounced out-of-competition testing on elite athletes. Athletes included in a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) are required to provide their location details every three months through platforms like WADA’s ADAMS 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 attempts to conduct a test during this designated hour 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 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 lead to significant penalties, including a ban ranging from one to two years.

The regulations stipulate that RTP athletes must provide comprehensive address details for their overnight location, as well as the names and full addresses of all locations where they train, work, or engage in other regular scheduled activities. They must also specify the usual time frames for each of these activities. Additionally, athletes must identify a 60-minute window and location for each day of the quarter, ensuring their availability for testing during that time.

Impact on Indian Judo Team

The withdrawal of Tulika Maan marks the second significant setback for the Indian judo contingent ahead of the Glasgow Games. Just a day prior, Arun Kumar, competing in the men’s -73kg category, was also pulled from the squad after an adverse analytical finding in an out-of-competition test conducted by NADA. Kumar had tested positive for an anabolic steroid and was handed a provisional suspension.

The Indian judo team, which was originally approved with 14 members (seven men and seven women), has not yet departed for Glasgow. Their competition schedule is set to commence on July 31, with the team’s departure slated for July 27. These two suspensions have undoubtedly disrupted the team’s preparations.

Tulika Maan is recognised as one of India’s most accomplished judokas, having represented the country at the 2024 Paris Olympics and participated in the 2022 and 2024 World Championships. Her absence, alongside Kumar’s, raises concerns for India’s performance in the upcoming Games. India had secured three medals, including two silver and one bronze, in the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a six-member contingent.

This is not an isolated incident for Indian athletes regarding whereabouts failures. Sprinter Hima Das received a 16-month retrospective suspension 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, and she was stripped of her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games.

The Indian judo team’s events at the 2026 Commonwealth Games are scheduled to take place from July 31 to August 2.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com