: Glasgow 2026: Indian para swimmer Tejas Nandakumar ruled out of Commonwealth Games over classification issue

Indian para-swimmer Tejas Nandakumar will miss the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games starting July 23. Organizers rejected his entry in the men's 50m freestyle S7 event due to an outdated international classification review status

New Delhi: Para swimmer Tejas Nandakumar, who was named in the Indian contingent for the upcoming Glasgow Commonwealth Games, will not compete in the multi-sport event starting on July 23 as his entry has been rejected by the organisers due to a classification issue.

The 20-year-old Nandakumar’s name was there in the list of competitors issued by the government last week. He was to compete in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 event in Glasgow and his slot was earlier accepted by the organisers.

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S7 classification in para swimming is for athletes who have the full use of their arms and trunk, but have limited leg function, are missing parts of both legs, or have limited movement in all four limbs. Nandakumar, who has previously competed in the Para-Asian Games in 2023, has a congenital condition affecting his legs.

In a letter sent on July 9, the local organisers have informed the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) that he is no longer eligible to compete following a validation process by the international federation — World Para Athletics — post June 23.

“Following the IF validation process (post June 23), the athlete (Tejas Nandakumar) has been identified as ineligible to represent your CGA in the Para Swimming competition of G2026 (Glasgow 2026),” Georgia Lambert, Sports Entries and Information Coordinator – Oceania & Asia Glasgow 2026, wrote in the letter.

“The athlete must be internationally classified with a confirmed sport class status or review with a fixed review date of 2027 or later at the sport entries deadline of 23 June 2026. As the class status for Tejas is R-2025, he is therefore unfortunately ineligible to compete.”

Classification determines which athletes are eligible to compete in a sport and how they are then grouped together for competition. This is done to safeguard the integrity of fair competition.

Classification of athletes is done by a panels of medical and technical experts in their sport. Athlete evaluation normally takes place before competitions and they are given slots.

Classification of athletes is not permanent. Athletes with progressive conditions require periodic reviews.

Depending on the type and severity of the impairment an athlete might undergo athlete evaluation several times throughout his or her career. Some impairments change over time and junior athletes may not yet have reached skeletal maturity by the time of first classification.

In these cases, classifiers can decide that the athlete must be seen again or reviewed at the next competition or at set time-frames.