Tejas Nandakumar has been banned from participating in the 2026 Commonwealth Games
NEW DELHI: For Tejas Nandakumar, the Indian national record holder in the men’s S7 100m backstroke, the past 24 hours have been a whirlwind of disbelief.The 20-year-old from Bengaluru was supposed to compete in the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, starting July 23, and everything was building towards that moment.
Training, qualifying times, visa paperwork, and even the measurements for his ceremonial gear have been completed.
When the official list of participants was released on Friday, his name was on it. Twenty-four hours later, everything collapsed.
Tejas had fully qualified for the men’s 50m freestyle S7, and his place had already been accepted. But on Saturday morning, he was informed that he had been ruled ineligible, not because of anything swimming-related, but because of his classification status.Its current designation, Review 2025, does not meet the requirements for confirmed status or a locked review date of 2027 or later.“I am completely devastated. It has absolutely nothing to do with my swimming, fitness, or performance,” He told TimesofIndia.com during an exclusive interaction. “It was a strict technique that ran out of time.”The classification determines how athletes are classified according to the nature and extent of their disability, ensuring fair competition in disability sports.
A “2025 review” It means that international classifiers have decided that his sporting category could change and will need to be re-evaluated before or during 2025. “certain” The rating indicates that an athlete’s athletic class is considered stable and is not expected to change.Under Commonwealth Games eligibility rules, athletes must either hold a confirmed classification or have a review date set for 2027 or later to ensure stability.
Since the Tejas review was scheduled to take place in 2025, he was deemed ineligible despite his merit-based qualifications.
Could this situation have been avoided?“maybe. But the administrative scheduling and paperwork required to secure this case did not occur in a timely manner.” He added.The rejection was particularly painful because he had spent the past 18 months chasing ranking opportunities in three countries. He competed in Barcelona, Paris and Australia, even funding one trip himself, in a bid to secure the coveted spot for Glasgow.One of those attempts came entirely at his own expense. Tejas says he personally funded his trip to Paris, hoping it would help secure the rating needed to remain eligible for Glasgow. But he never got the classification window he needed to reevaluate his situation. When he sensed trouble looming for the Commonwealth Games, he tried again, submitting his entry fee in March 2026 for a meet in Fuji-Shizuoka, Japan.
This attempt also failed, as he never got a place and eventually dropped out.“Honestly, to say I’m completely disappointed is an understatement;” I confess. “You dedicate your life to representing your country, and having a realistic shot at a medal that was withdrawn on a technicality without having to dive into a pool is a tough pill to swallow.”It is believed that Indian sports bodies, including the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), have the capacity and opportunity to bridge this gap before it costs another athlete a chance at the podium, especially with the Asian Para Games and the Paralympic Games on the horizon.“PCI has actually been in my corner and tried to provide support,” He told this site. “From what I understand of the process, it has really come down to a matter of administrative priority; Had it been pushed more proactively, this rating window could have been secured. I don’t want to point fingers directly or make it controversial.”
“It is very difficult to get the rating slot”: PCI
When asked if the governing body tried to intervene, Virender Kumar Dabas, head of para-swimming at the Paralympic Committee of India, told TimesofIndia.com: “No, pushing things doesn’t work here.
He should have classified himself. It was scheduled to be reclassified in 2025. He should have been more careful, he was reminded again and again.”While admitting that Tejas traveled to attend events in Paris and Australia but did not miss them due to the huge backlog, Dabas noted,
“Allocating a place in the classification is the prerogative of the World Paralympic Swimming Federation. Especially in Europe, it is very difficult to get a place in the rankings…
Because there is a lot of rush, there is a lot of waiting. He went to Paris and did not get a place in the rankings. Very unfortunate.”Dabas stressed that the Communist Party had no say in Commonwealth Games selections, and dismissed the possibility of last-minute political interference.“We don’t choose the athletes. The choice comes from the top, from the international body. If there had been another problem with the document, it could have been authenticated and corrected,” He added.Debbas concluded that the result was a final, albeit unfortunate, reality about which the athlete had been warned.“He’s a good kid, but it was unfortunate. What to do? We previously told him that although his name comes from the World Paralympic Swimming Championships through the IOA, the chances are less,” He noted as well. “He has been informed of this. Because when they checked him one by one, they found that he was not eligible to participate in 2026.”
“I keep my head high”: Tejas Nandakumar
To prevent similar situations from occurring in the future, Nandakumar called for setting up a dedicated rating fund separate from the benchmark “Foreign exposure” Competition budgets, since current policy typically covers only one international meet per year, combined with a system that identifies and prioritizes medal-contending athletes for early ranking opportunities, along with a two- to three-year planning cycle that reflects the time swimmers spend preparing for major competitions.“They definitely should have prioritized the big swimmers first,” Nandakumar stated. “I just hope immediate attention is drawn to these administrative timelines so we can protect someone else from ending up in situations like this.”For now, Tejas insists this setback will not define him. “I keep my head high. I don’t let this define me,” conclude. “My focus immediately shifts and my eyes are completely on preparing and performing well for India in the upcoming Asian Games.”