Indian judoka Arun Kumar has been ruled out of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games after failing a pre-event doping test. The men’s 73kg athlete, one of India’s medal hopes, was removed from the entry list following a NADA report, dealing a major blow to India’s judo campaign.
India has received a major setback just hours before the Glasgow Commonwealth Games are set to begin. Indian judoka Arun Kumar has been disqualified from the tournament after he failed a doping test conducted before the competition.
Arun was supposed to compete for India in the men’s 73 kg category. The action was taken after banned substances were found in his system during the pre-event test.
IJF Confirms Indian Judoka’s Ineligibility After Anti-Doping Report
The International Judo Federation took this tough decision based on a report from our own National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA). They have informed the Games organisers and the Indian Olympic Association.
Following this, Arun’s name has been removed from the official entry system for the Commonwealth Games. Elise Anderson, a representative for the Games organising committee, also confirmed that Arun Kumar is not eligible to compete in the Glasgow Commonwealth Games and has been completely excluded from the events.
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JFI President Calls Arun Kumar’s Exclusion ‘Very Unfortunate’
Arun Kumar was one of India’s biggest medal hopes in judo. The fact that another player cannot be sent as a replacement at such short notice makes this blow even bigger. Arun has been given 15 days to explain his side of the story.
However, under the current anti-doping rules, he cannot participate in the Games. ‘Technically, it’s impossible to bring in another player as a replacement in such a short time. We had high hopes for Arun, and what has happened is very unfortunate,’ said Mukesh Kumar, the President of the Judo Federation of India.
Who Is Arun Kumar?
Arun Kumar hails from Najafgarh, Delhi, and has been a professional judoka representing India in the men’s 73 kg category. The 21-year-old is an Indian Army Havildar and has trained at Inspire Institute of Sport, which is owned by founded by the JSW Group, headed by founder and director Parth Jindal.
Arun first shot to national fame when he won the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Junior Championship in Macau. In 2025, he clinched a gold medal at the Taipei Asian Open, followed by a string of strong international performances that established him as one of India’s leading medal contenders in the sport.
Arun Kumar secured a bronze medal at theHong Kong Asian Open and also finished seventh at the Tashkent Grand Slam. In the ongoing Commonwealth Games, Arun was one of the strong medal contenders for India. However, his hopes of competing on the international stage were dashed after his suspension, dealing a body blow to India’s judo contingent just as the multi-sport event got underway.
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