Varun Sanyal is expected to compete in the traditional MMA category under 77kg men's at ASIAD 20. The Indian fighter is exempted from the first round and is expected to meet Mukhammad Nabiev (Bahrain) in the quarterfinals taking place on the evening of September 20.
However, before the competition, Sanyal encountered an incident in the process of bringing his weight back to the regulated level. According to Indian media, this boxer has limited food and drinks and went to the sauna room to lose weight.
After about 30 minutes in the sauna room, Sanyal developed symptoms of dizziness, lightheadedness and muscle cramps. A source said that the Indian boxer then lost consciousness and was discovered by a Nepalese athlete.
Sanyal was still able to contact Nikhil Kunder, President of the Indian MMA Federation, before being taken to the hospital. The fighter was brought back to his accommodation at around 3 am in stable condition and was asked to add water and mineral salt.
The Indian Olympic Committee (IOA) said Sanyal suffered from whole-body cramps and body aches in the sauna room. The boxer was then checked for health and blood tested. The results did not detect any significant abnormalities.
However, after a night of rest, Sanyal still felt that he was not fit enough to compete. After exchanging with the coaching staff, he decided to withdraw from ASIAD 20 and could not step onto the ring.
Weight loss is a familiar part of competitive sports, when athletes have to lower their body weight below the weight limit before official weighing. Some commonly used methods include limiting food, water, sauna, or wearing heat-retaining clothing to increase sweating.
However, losing weight too quickly mainly causes the body to lose water. If done excessively, athletes may face fatigue, dizziness, cramps and electrolyte imbalance, thereby directly affecting competition ability.
Sanyal's case is noteworthy because this fighter once won a bronze medal at the Asian MMA tournament and was added quite late to the Indian squad for ASIAD 20.
While Sanyal had to say goodbye to the tournament before the first match, teammate Suchika Tariyal won the right to enter the semi-finals of the women's 60kg category. This achievement helps India definitely have the first MMA medal in ASIAD history.
