Tulika Maan Suspended by NADA as India hit Hard ahead of Commonwealth Games 2026

In a massive blow to India's medal hopes at the upcoming 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Olympian and Birmingham 2022 silver medallist Tulika Maan has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). The 27-year-old heavyweight judoka has been barred from participating in the Games due to alleged "whereabouts failures," ending her CWG journey before she could even board her flight to Scotland.

Maan, who competes in the women's +78kg category, was considered one of India's absolute brightest medal prospects at the event. Following her suspension, she has been officially withdrawn from the national squad.

The 'Whereabouts' Failure Explained

According to reports, Tulika Maan accumulated three whereabouts failures within a rolling 12-month period. Under the strict guidelines of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Code, combining three filing failures and/or missed tests in a single year automatically triggers a provisional suspension.

A "whereabouts failure" is a serious anti-doping compliance issue. Athletes included in the Registered Testing Pool must regularly submit their overnight locations, training addresses, and daily schedules, along with a specific 60-minute window each day when they will be available for out-of-competition testing. A filing failure occurs if this mandatory location information is not submitted or updated, while a missed test happens when a doping control officer cannot locate the athlete during their specified 60-minute slot.

If she fails to successfully challenge the charges before the NADA anti-doping disciplinary panel, the star judoka could face a standard ban of up to two years.

The news of Maan's suspension comes as a severe shock to the Judo Federation of India (JFI). Banee Brata Das, the General Secretary of the JFI, expressed his deep disappointment, noting that despite multiple reminders from the federation, she failed to provide her whereabouts information.

This controversy marks the second major doping-related setback for the Indian judo contingent in just two days. Just a day earlier, another prominent judoka, Arun Kumar (who competes in the men's -73kg category), was also withdrawn from the Glasgow Games after failing an out-of-competition dope test. Kumar tested positive for an anabolic steroid and was handed his own provisional suspension, further depleting the squad.

Dented Medal Hopes as the Contingent Shrinks

Tulika Maan has been the leading face of Indian judo over the past decade. Raised by a single mother who serves as a Delhi Police sub-inspector, she famously switched from football to judo at age eight and eventually secured a historic silver medal at the 2022 Birmingham CWG. She later battled through a serious knee injury and was India's lone judoka at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

With the unexpected withdrawal of both Maan and Kumar, the Indian CWG contingent heading to Scotland has now been reduced to 122 athletes. The Indian judo team is scheduled to depart for Glasgow on July 27, with the judo competitions officially kicking off on July 31.