Varun Sanyal came to the Asian Games expecting to make his debut in the cage. Instead, the Indian MMA fighter’s campaign ended before he could compete, after he passed out in a sauna while trying to make the 77kg limit.
Sanyal had been added to the Indian team with barely two weeks to prepare. He was dealing with accommodation issues and, with the Indian MMA contingent travelling without support staff, was left to manage his weight cut on his own.
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On Monday, Sanyal spoke about the incident, calling his decision to cut weight alone ‘foolish’ in hindsight but saying he did not have much of a choice.
“I came here on two weeks’ notice. I found out relatively late. I obviously had a bunch of accommodation issues, and then I was all by myself on a weight cut. In retrospect, that was quite foolish of me to do,” Sanyal told PTI.
“I had no choice but to do it by myself. That’s a question, to be honest, I would like the public to ask, why was I alone?”
THE BLACKOUT
Sanyal was attempting to make weight when he became exhausted and dehydrated during a sauna session at his cruise accommodation on Sunday. He passed out and was found by an athlete from Nepal, who woke him up.
“Fortunately, he was found in that state by an athlete from Nepal who woke him up. Varun was able to call me and we took him to hospital,” MMA Sports Federation of India president Nikhil Kunder told PTI.
“There was nothing to be worried about. He was brought back to the cruise ship around 3:00am. He was hydrated, the doctors here are attending to him. He is stable, can speak and is out of trouble,” he added.
The Indian Olympic Association said Sanyal had suffered from ‘generalised cramps and body ache while in the sauna last evening in his cruise accommodation’.
“He underwent a medical examination and precautionary blood tests, which were normal. Despite rest, the following morning, he felt not fully fit to participate in a combat sport. After consultation with his coach, he withdrew on medical grounds,” the IOA said.
Sanyal was therefore declared medically unfit and withdrew without competing at the Asian Games.
A LATE SELECTION
Sanyal’s selection came after a prolonged period of uncertainty.
He had qualified for the Asian Games in January, but said uncertainty surrounding the qualification process led him to shift his focus to his professional career. He was preparing for a professional fight when he was eventually informed that he had been selected.
Another athlete had put his name forward and gone through the qualification process in Uzbekistan in May, but did not rank high enough in Asia. Sanyal, who was fourth in the Asian rankings, was eventually included in the Indian team on September 2.
“I qualified for Asian Games back in January. But there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the qualification process. So, I decided to shift focus to my professional career. And I didn’t want the slot to go empty,” Sanyal said.
“I was getting ready for a professional fight in the cage. And then, on two weeks’ notice, I found out that my name was announced. So, here I am.”
The late call-up left Sanyal with little time to prepare for the 77kg category. He also said he faced accommodation problems after arriving at the Games.
The Indian MMA team had no support staff with it in Japan.
WHY WEIGHT CUTTING CAN BE DANGEROUS?
Making weight is a routine part of combat sports, but rapid weight loss can carry significant health risks.
Fighters often compete below their natural body weight and use the period before a bout to reach the required limit. The process can begin gradually through exercise, dietary changes and fasting.
As the weigh-in approaches, some fighters resort to more aggressive methods. Fluid restriction and deliberate dehydration can rapidly reduce body weight, while sauna sessions and intense sweating are also used to shed water. More extreme practices such as laxatives, diuretics and vomiting have also been used in combat sports.
The risks increase when large amounts of weight are lost quickly, particularly through dehydration. Severe dehydration can affect blood pressure, kidney function and the body’s ability to regulate temperature. In extreme cases, it can lead to dizziness, collapse and loss of consciousness.
Sanyal’s blackout came during one such attempt to shed weight through a sauna session.
WHY WAS HE ALONE?
That is the question raised by Sanyal’s account.
The MMA team at the Asian Games consisted of Sanyal and Suchika Tariyal, who won bronze in the women’s traditional 60kg category. There were no support staff accompanying the team.
Sanyal said he was left to manage his weight cut himself and explicitly questioned why that was the case.
“I had no choice but to do it by myself. That’s a question, to be honest, I would like the public to ask, why was I alone?” he said.
His account leaves several questions around the circumstances of the weight cut. Who was responsible for monitoring it? What medical support was available? Was the sauna session supervised? And how was Sanyal expected to prepare for a demanding weight cut after being called up only two weeks before the Games?
The available accounts establish that Sanyal was treated after the blackout, underwent medical tests and was later ruled out of competition. They do not explain why he was attempting the weight cut without dedicated support.
‘I AM DISAPPOINTED’
Sanyal said he was disappointed to have missed the opportunity to compete.
“Yeah, absolutely, I am disappointed. I had wanted to participate and show off my skills. I have big aspirations for myself in this sport, and I have backed myself to do well,” he said.
He then pointed to Tariyal’s bronze medal and the broader challenges faced by the federation.
“I think rather than focusing on what could happen, we focus on what did. And despite all the challenges that the federation has faced over the last year, we came out with a medal, it is huge.”
“So, yeah, rather than disappointed, I’m more proud of such a good result.”
For Sanyal, the Asian Games ended before he could step into the cage. His account has instead put the circumstances of his preparation under scrutiny, particularly the decision to leave him to manage a potentially dangerous weight cut on his own.
– Ends
