Indian judoka Arun Kumar withdraws from 2026 Commonwealth Games after failing dope test | Commonwealth Games News

India’s Commonwealth Games contingent suffered a setback on the day of the Glasgow 2026 opening ceremony, where judoka Arun Kumar was withdrawn from the competition after failing a dope test.The 73kg judoka was declared ineligible following the adverse analytical finding of the out-of-competition test conducted by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). His withdrawal has reduced the contingent of Indian athletes from 125 to 124.Arun is one of India’s brightest medalists 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, she also finished seventh at the prestigious Tashkent Grand Slam, earning her a Commonwealth Games berth.Arun’s withdrawal comes despite stringent anti-doping tests conducted ahead of the Games. Indian athletes underwent two rounds of testing before leaving Glasgow, while overseas training sessions were tested in coordination with their host countries’ anti-doping agencies.The increased vigilance follows several recent doping cases, particularly in weightlifting, where several Indian lifters tested positive before the Games, reducing the country’s weightlifting quota from 16 to 12 athletes.Together with NADA, the Athletics Integrity Unit and national sports federations monitor athletes and educate them about anti-doping rules before the Games.India initially fielded a 126-member contingent of athletes for Glasgow. Following recent withdrawals, including Arun Kumar, the country’s squad is now down to 124 competitors.