India's Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign has suffered an early setback, with judoka Arun Kumar ruled out of the competition after failing a dope test on the day of the opening ceremony in Glasgow, Scotland.
The 73kg judoka was declared ineligible after returning an adverse analytical finding in an out-of-competition test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). His withdrawal reduces India's athlete contingent from 125 to 124, dealing a blow to the country's campaign even before competition gets underway.
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Arun was expected to be one of India's brightest medal prospects in judo after rising rapidly through the junior and senior ranks. Training at the Inspire Institute of Sport, he won gold at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup, followed by another gold at the 2025 Taipei Asian Open and a bronze medal at the Hong Kong Asian Open.
Earlier this year, the 73kg judoka finished seventh at the prestigious Tashkent Grand Slam, a performance that earned him his maiden Commonwealth Games selection.
His withdrawal is despite strict anti-doping measures introduced ahead of the Games. All Indian athletes were tested twice before leaving for Glasgow, and those training abroad were tested in coordination with the anti-doping agencies in the respective host countries.
The improved screening came after a series of recent doping cases, especially in weightlifting, with some Indian lifters testing positive before the Games.
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In addition to NADA, the Athletics Integrity Unit and various national sports federations monitored athletes and conducted awareness programmes on anti-doping regulations in the lead-up to the Games.
India had initially cleared a 126-member athlete contingent for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Following recent withdrawals, including that of Arun Kumar, the country's squad has now been reduced to 124 competitors.
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