Glasgow: Tulika Maan withdrawn from Commonwealth Games squad over whereabouts failures

By Karan Malhotra — 24 July 2026 — 3 min read

Judo Campaign Faces Setback

India’s judo contingent 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 was 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.

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.

Maan’s provisional suspension means she faces a potential ban of up to two years under anti-doping regulations. Her absence is considered a substantial blow to India’s medal prospects in judo at the Glasgow Games, where she was expected to be a strong contender in the women’s +78kg category.

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 who are part of a Registered Testing Pool (RTP) are required to submit their location details every three months through platforms such as 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 visits during this designated hour and the athlete cannot be found, 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 lead to suspensions ranging from one to two years. The rules mandate that RTP athletes provide a full address for their overnight location, along with the names and addresses of locations where they train, work, or engage in other regular activities, including the usual timeframes for these activities.

This is not an isolated incident for Indian athletes. Sprinter Hima Das previously received a 16-month retrospective suspension from NADA for three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period. Boxer Parveen Hooda was also suspended by the International Testing Agency (ITA) for similar violations, leading to the stripping of her bronze medal from the 2022 Asian Games.

Impact on Indian Judo Team

The withdrawal of Tulika Maan marks the second significant setback for the Indian judo team ahead of the Glasgow Games. Just a day prior, Arun Kumar, competing in the men’s -73kg category, was also provisionally suspended by NADA after an adverse analytical finding in an out-of-competition test. Kumar had shown a rapid ascent in recent years, securing gold medals at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup and the 2025 Taipei Asian Open, as well as a bronze 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.

Maan, a 27-year-old from Delhi, is recognised as one of India’s most accomplished judokas. Beyond her Commonwealth Games silver medal in Birmingham, she represented India at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she exited in the round of 32. She also participated in the 2022 and 2024 World Championships. Her experience and past performances made her a key medal hope for India in Glasgow.

Tulika Mann, Commonwealth Games 2026, Glasgow Credit: indiatoday.in

The Indian judo team, originally comprising 14 members with an equal number of men and women, is scheduled to depart for Glasgow on July 27. The judo competitions at the 2026 Games are set to begin on July 31 and conclude on August 2. The team had secured three medals, two silver and one bronze, at the previous edition of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham with a six-member contingent.