Tulika Maan Faces Provisional Suspension from NADA for Doping Violations

Judoka Tulika Maan Temporarily Suspended by NADA

Tulika Maan, an Indian judoka, has been temporarily suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) due to allegations of breaching the National Anti-Doping Rules (NADR) 2021, specifically for repeated failures to provide whereabouts information.

In a formal notification sent to Maan, NADA indicated that she might have violated an Anti-Doping Rule under Article 2.4 of the NADR 2021, which pertains to athletes in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) failing to meet their whereabouts obligations.

Details of Whereabouts Failures

The notice outlined that NADA will manage the results process according to the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021. Maan has been consistently listed in the Registered Testing Pool and was notified via emails on December 16, 2023, and January 22, 2026, regarding her duty to provide accurate and timely whereabouts information through the Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS).

Doping Control Officers were sent to collect samples from Maan during the specified times she provided in ADAMS. However, she was reportedly absent during two designated testing periods. The first missed test occurred on August 10, 2025, with NADA informing her of this failure on October 10, 2025, and the incident was officially recorded on November 27, 2025.

The second missed test was noted on November 1, 2025. Maan was notified on February 18, 2026, and this failure was officially documented on May 22, 2026. A corrigendum to the notification was issued by NADA on June 19, 2026.

According to the World Anti-Doping Code and the National Anti-Doping Rules, accumulating three whereabouts failures—including missed tests and filing failures—within a year can lead to an anti-doping rule violation. NADA claims that Maan's situation falls under Article 2.4 and has enforced a provisional suspension while the disciplinary process unfolds.

Significant Setback Before Commonwealth Games

This situation represents a significant setback for Indian judo just ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Maan, who secured a silver medal in the women's +78kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was viewed as one of India's top medal contenders for the upcoming Glasgow edition. The Indian judo team's events are set to commence on July 31, with the team scheduled to leave for Glasgow on July 27.