India's Judo Hopes Dashed as Arun Kumar Faces Doping Disqualification

Setback for Indian Judo at Commonwealth Games

On the opening day of the Commonwealth Games, India encountered a significant blow when judoka Arun Kumar was disqualified due to an adverse analytical finding (AAF) from a recent out-of-competition doping test.

Arun, who was preparing to compete in the men's 73kg judo category, has been deemed ineligible for this year's event following this announcement.

The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) issued the notification on Wednesday, leading to his removal from the Sports Entries System for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The International Judo Federation (IJF) promptly informed the event organizers about Arun's AAF, and the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has also been notified.

Ellise Anderson, representing the organizers, confirmed, "Glasgow 2026 has received confirmation from the International Judo Federation that Arun Kumar is not eligible to compete at Glasgow 2026. Consequently, he will be removed from the Sport Entries System."

Mukesh Kumar, president of the Judo Federation of India, expressed his disappointment for the athlete, stating that no replacement would be made for the men's 73kg category.

"The notice was received just yesterday, and he has 15 days to respond. While we will allow him time, the rules prevent him from competing. Unfortunately, we cannot find a replacement on such short notice. This is disheartening as we had high expectations for Arun," Kumar shared with The Tribune on Thursday.