Tulika Maan set to miss Commonwealth Games 2026 after being suspended by NADA – See details
Tulika Maan has been provisionally suspended for three whereabouts failures
India’s medal ambitions in the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland, took a big hit as heavyweight judoka Tulika Maan was handed a provisional suspension by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabouts failures.
As a result, the 27-year-old athlete will miss out on the Glasgow Games. Maan’s three whereabouts failures over the last 12 months led to a provisional suspension under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code. She will reportedly appear before NADA on Thursday.
Also Read: Commonwealth Games 2026: Major setback for India as judoka gets disqualified
What is a whereabouts failure?
Under the WADA Code, a whereabouts failure can occur in one of two ways:
A filing failure, whereby an athlete does not submit or update the location details for out-of-competition testing, or a missed test, where a doping control officer cannot locate the athlete during the declared 60-minute testing window.
Three such whereabouts failures within 12 months result in an anti-doping violation. The standard sanction for this is a two-year suspension. However, athletes are free to challenge the charge.
Therefore, if the charge is upheld, Maan can be banned for up to two years.
How does this impact India’s Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign?
This latest development is a huge blow to India’s campaign. Maan, who won a silver medal in the Birmingham 2022 CWG, was one of the biggest medal hopes for the nation. She was supposed to compete in the women’s 78+ kg category.
Apart from winning a CWG medal, Maan also represented her nation in the Paris 2024 Olympics, overcoming a serious knee injury to secure qualification as India’s lone judoka. Her suspension reduces the country’s CWG contingent to 122 athletes, with two other athletes also being forced to withdraw.
Fellow judoka Arun Kumar was deemed ineligible for the tournament after a failed anti-doping test, while weightlifter Dilbag Singh had to withdraw following a reduction in the country’s quota.
Also Read: Commonwealth Games 2026: Major setback for India as judoka gets disqualified
The Indian judo team, now reduced to 12 athletes, will depart for Glasgow on July 27, with the events starting on July 31.
Read More: Explained: Why was weightlifter Dilbag Singh forced to withdraw from Commonwealth Games 2026?
Where and when will Commonwealth Games 2026 take place?
The Commonwealth Games 2026 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from July 23 to August 2.
Why was Tulika Maan suspended by NADA ahead of Commonwealth Games 2026?
She was provisionally suspended by the National Anti‑Doping Agency (NADA) for three whereabouts failures in the past 12 months.
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Sushruta has spent over two years covering football, with a particular focus on Indian and international competitions. Alongside football, he has reported on a variety of sports, bringing curiosity and perspective to every story. When he’s not following the action, he can usually be found binge-watching movies or getting lost in a good book.