Commonwealth Games 2026: Major setback for India as star athlete pulls out after failed dope test

India's Commonwealth Games 2026 contingent has suffered a major setback on the day of the opening ceremony in Glasgow, with judoka Arun Kumar withdrawing from the competition after failing a dope test.

The 73kg judoka has been declared ineligible following an adverse analytical finding in an out-of-competition test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). His withdrawal has reduced India's athlete contingent from 125 to 124.

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Arun Kumar ruled out after adverse analytical finding

Arun Kumar was one of India's brightest medal prospects in judo after enjoying a rapid rise through the junior and senior ranks.

The 24-year-old trained at the Inspire Institute of Sport and produced a series of impressive performances before earning selection for the Commonwealth Games.

His campaign, however, has come to an end before it could begin after the adverse analytical finding in the NADA-conducted out-of-competition test.

Rapid rise through the ranks

Arun first grabbed attention after winning the gold medal at the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup.

He followed that performance with another gold medal at the 2025 Taipei Asian Open, before adding a bronze medal at the Hong Kong Asian Open.

Earlier this year, he also finished seventh at the Tashkent Grand Slam, a result that helped him secure his maiden Commonwealth Games selection.

India carried out strict anti-doping checks

Arun's withdrawal comes despite strict anti-doping checks carried out before the Games.

Indian athletes underwent two rounds of testing before leaving for Glasgow, while those training overseas were tested in coordination with anti-doping agencies in their respective host countries.

The increased vigilance followed several recent doping cases, particularly in weightlifting, where multiple Indian lifters tested positive before the Games, reducing the country's weightlifting quota from 16 athletes to 12.

Along with NADA, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) and national sports federations monitored athletes and educated them about anti-doping rules before the Games.

India had originally cleared a 126-member athlete contingent for the Commonwealth Games 2026.

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Following recent withdrawals, including Arun Kumar's, the country's squad has now been reduced to 124 competitors, dealing another blow to India's campaign before the Games officially get underway.