His visa had arrived, accreditation for the Games was sorted, anti-doping formalities were complete, and even his measurements for the official Indian ceremonial kit were submitted.

But despite ticking all the right boxes, para-swimmer Tejas Nandakumar will not be part of the Indian contingent at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games scheduled from July 23 to August 2.

The 18-year-old from Bengaluru was set to compete in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 event before an email from the Commonwealth Games Federation to the Indian Olympic Association on June 23 changed everything.

Tejas’ name was struck off during the final validation process after he was declared ineligible due to an international classification rule.

“Following the IF validation process (post 23 June), the athlete has been identified as ineligible to represent your CGA in the Para Swimming competition of G2026,” an email read.

According to the eligibility rules, all participating para athletes must either hold a Confirmed (C) international classification or a Review (R) status with a fixed review date of 2027 or later as of the sport entries deadline on June 23, 2026.

In Tejas’s case, his classification status was listed as R-2025, meaning he was due for a review in 2025 and was therefore ineligible to compete.

Between 2025 and the first half of 2026, Tejas competed at three World Para Swimming Series meets in Barcelona (2025), Paris (2025) and Australia (2026) but failed to secure a classification slot.

According to sources familiar with the process, around 20 Indian para swimmers received international classification in 2025, but Tejas was not among them. Tejas’ confirmation for Glasgow came only in April this year.

Reacting to the turn of events, Tejas said he made all possible efforts as an athlete.

“It was such terrible news; I could not believe it. As an athlete, I did every single thing within my control,” Tejas told The Bridge.

“I trained relentlessly and achieved the qualification times. Honestly, to say I am absolutely gutted is an understatement. You pour your life into representing your country, and to have a realistic shot at a medal taken away on a technicality without even getting to dive into the pool is a heavy pill to swallow,” he said, putting his emotions into words.

How does the classification work?

For the Commonwealth Games, para athletes are selected directly by the Commonwealth Games Federation, while athlete classification is handled by World Para Swimming.

“Before every international meet, World Para Swimming invites athletes requiring classification to register before the competition entry deadline,” former para swimmer turned coach Sharath Gayakwad said.

The international federation then compiles requests from participating countries and schedules classification sessions. Each classification panel consists of a medical classifier and a technical classifier who examine athletes on land as well as water, and it is a time-consuming process.

“One team of classifiers can only classify about six people in a day because they take an hour to an hour and a half per swimmer,” he added.

“If there are more classification panels, more athletes can be classified. Otherwise, only a limited number of slots are available,” he pointed out.

Coincidentally, Tejas’ final opportunity to undergo classification came at the World Para Swimming Series in Japan. India, however, received only one classification slot, which went to another swimmer.

It is also learnt that for one of the overseas competitions, government clearance arrived after the deadline for requesting classification had passed.

“We could only send his entry and couldn’t request classification,” a source said.

Who is Tejas Nandakumar?

Tejas Nandakumar is a para swimmer from Bengaluru. He trains under renowned coach Nihar Ameen at the Dolphin Aquatics Centre for Sports Excellence.

Tejas was born with spina bifida, a congenital condition in which the spine does not close completely during fetal development, affecting the spinal cord and nerves.

Tejas received his first international S7 classification at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China.

In para swimming, the S7 class is for athletes with moderate physical impairments. Competitors typically have full use of their arms and trunk but limited leg function, or comparable impairments affecting movement.

Tejas was under 18 when he was first classified and placed under review. According to the rules, an athlete’s classification can only be confirmed once they attain physical maturity or when the classification panel determines that their impairment is stable and unlikely to change.