CWG 2026: Doping violations derail India's judo and weightlifting plans

India had won 10 weightlifting medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, making the reduction in squad size a significant challenge for matching that return in 2026

India's Commonwealth Games 2026 campaign has suffered an early setback after anti-doping violations affected its judo and weightlifting squads just before the start of competition in Glasgow.

 

Judoka Arun Kumar has been provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), while India's weightlifting contingent lost five qualification places under Commonwealth Sport's anti-doping regulations following multiple adverse doping cases in the sport over the qualification period.

 

The developments have reduced India's medal prospects in two disciplines and renewed scrutiny over the country's anti-doping framework at a time when it is preparing to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and pursuing the 2036 Olympic bid.

 

Judoka Arun Kumar provisionally suspended

India's judo squad has been subjected to a late change after 78kg judoka Arun Kumar was provisionally suspended by NADA over an alleged anti-doping rule violation.

 

With the judo team yet to depart for Glasgow, India cannot name a replacement because Commonwealth Games competition regulations do not permit athlete substitutions at this stage. The suspension effectively leaves India with one fewer competitor in the discipline.

Who is Arun Kumar?

Arun Kumar is among India's emerging judokas and has earned a place in the country's squad for the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games. The Haryana-based athlete rose through the junior circuit before making an impact at the senior level, winning the gold medal at the 2025 Taipei Asian Open after previously claiming the 2023 Macau Junior Asian Cup title.

 

Training at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), he had been viewed as one of India's leading medal hopes in judo at Glasgow before his campaign ended prematurely before the Games began due to the NADA ban.  Catch all the live updates from the Commonwealth Games 2026 on July 24 here

Weightlifting also takes a hit

Apart from Arun Kumar's ban, India's weightlifting team has also been affected, albeit under a different provision.

 

According to a report published in The Indian Express, Indian weightlifting recorded five anti-doping rule violations between June 1, 2025, and July 22, 2026, triggering a sanction under the Commonwealth Games qualification system.

 

The rule states that a Commonwealth Games Association loses one athlete quota place for every anti-doping rule violation committed by a weightlifting athlete or support personnel during the qualification window. As a result, India's quota for weightlifting was reduced from 16 to 11 lifters.

Dilbagh Singh to return home

Despite the reduced quota, the Indian Weightlifting Federation initially named a 12-member squad for the Games and was forced to drop one member of the team, who has been revealed to be Dilbagh Singh.

 

According to The Indian Express, federation officials said Dilbagh Singh was withdrawn because he was recovering from a back injury and had not trained during the preparatory camp in Birmingham. His return from Glasgow was therefore attributed to fitness concerns rather than any anti-doping violation.

Who is Dilbagh Singh?

Punjab weightlifter Dilbagh Singh has established himself as one of India's promising lifters in the heavier weight categories. A National Games gold medallist, he won silver at the 2025 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships with a career-best total of 342kg and also represented India at the 2025 Asian and World Weightlifting Championships.

 

Glasgow 2026 was set to be his Commonwealth Games debut, but he was withdrawn after India's weightlifting quota was reduced because of multiple anti-doping rule violations recorded during the qualification period.

 

According to the Indian Weightlifting Federation, Singh himself was not involved in any doping case and was withdrawn as he was recovering from a back injury and had missed the preparatory camp in Birmingham.

Blow to India's medal hopes

The latest setback further dents India's medal prospects at a Commonwealth Games already featuring a reduced sports programme.

 

Traditional medal-winning sports such as shooting, wrestling and badminton are absent from Glasgow 2026 after being dropped from the programme, placing greater importance on disciplines such as athletics and weightlifting.

 

India had won 10 weightlifting medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, making the reduction in squad size a significant challenge in matching that return.

India's doping record under scrutiny

The episode has again put India's anti-doping record under scrutiny. According to the World Anti-Doping Agency's 2024 Annual Report, India recorded 260 positive tests, the highest among all countries.

 

Athletics accounted for 76 cases, while weightlifting registered 43, the second-highest among Indian sports. India's positivity rate of 3.6 per cent was also among the highest globally.

Government plans tougher anti-doping laws

The developments come as India intensifies preparations to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and continues its bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.

 

Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has indicated that the government plans to criminalise doping, arguing that the existing system of suspensions, disqualifications and medal forfeitures has not been sufficient to eliminate the problem. He has said the focus should shift towards targeting the entire network involved in doping through stricter legal penalties.