Indian Judoka Arun Kumar Withdrawn from Commonwealth Games After Dope Test Failure

India's Commonwealth Games contingent has suffered a setback on the day of the Glasgow 2026 opening ceremony, with judoka Arun Kumar withdrawn from the competition after failing a dope test. The rising 73kg judoka was declared ineligible following 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. Arun had been one of India's brightest medal prospects in judo after enjoying a rapid rise 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 at the Hong Kong Asian Open. Earlier this year, he also finished seventh at the prestigious Tashkent Grand Slam, earning his maiden Commonwealth Games selection.

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 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 to 12 athletes. Along with NADA, the Athletics Integrity Unit 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 Glasgow. Following recent withdrawals, including Arun Kumar's, the country's squad has now been reduced to 124 competitors.