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Indian judoka Tulika Maan has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) after being charged with an alleged violation of the National Anti-Doping Rules (NADR) 2021 for repeated whereabouts failures.
In a notification issued to the athlete, NADA informed Maan that it considers she may have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) under Article 2.4 of the NADR 2021, which relates to failures by athletes in the Registered Testing Pool (RTP) to comply with whereabouts requirements. According to the notice, the results management process will be handled by NADA under the provisions of the National Anti-Doping Rules, 2021. NADA stated that Maan had been continuously included in the Registered Testing Pool and was informed through emails dated December 16, 2023, and January 22, 2026, about her obligation to submit accurate and timely whereabouts information through the Anti-Doping Administration and Management System (ADAMS). The agency said Doping Control Officers were dispatched to collect the judoka's sample during the location and time slots provided by her in ADAMS. However, Maan was allegedly absent during the designated testing windows on two occasions. The first whereabouts failure, classified as a missed test, occurred on August 10, 2025. NADA notified the athlete of the failure on October 10, 2025, and the missed test was officially recorded on November 27, 2025. The second missed test was recorded on November 1, 2025. According to the notification, Maan was informed on February 18, 2026, with the failure of whereabouts being officially recorded on May 22, 2026. NADA subsequently issued a corrigendum to the notification on June 19, 2026. Under the World Anti-Doping Code and the National Anti-Doping Rules, any combination of three whereabouts failures -- including missed tests and filing failures -- within a 12-month period may constitute an anti-doping rule violation. NADA has alleged that Maan's case falls within the ambit of Article 2.4 and has imposed a provisional suspension pending the outcome of the disciplinary process. The development is a major setback for Indian judo ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Maan, who won the silver medal in the women's +78kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, was considered one of India's strongest medal prospects for the Glasgow edition. The Indian judo team's campaign is scheduled to begin on July 31, with the contingent set to depart for Glasgow on July 27. (ANI)
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