Why Varun Sanyal Never Made It To The Cage In Nagoya

Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal was forced to withdraw from his Asian Games 2026 quarterfinal on Sunday after suffering generalized cramps and body ache while in the sauna at his cruise accommodation, with the effects leaving him not fully fit to compete in a combat sport.

Sanyal, who had received a bye in the preliminary round, was due to face Bahrain's Mukhammad Nabiev in the men's traditional -77kg quarterfinal. He was subsequently declared medically unfit and disqualified from the competition.

Varun Sanyal underwent medical examination

According to information obtained by MyKhel, Sanyal suffered generalized cramps and body ache while in the sauna on Saturday evening as he attempted to manage his weight ahead of competition.

He underwent a medical examination and precautionary blood tests, with the results reported to be normal. Despite resting afterwards, Sanyal did not feel fully fit the following morning to participate in a combat sport.

After consulting his coach, he decided to withdraw on medical grounds.

Earlier reports said Sanyal was found by a Nepalese athlete, who woke him before he was taken for medical attention. MMA Sports Federation of India president Nikhil Kundera told PTI that Sanyal was later brought back to the cruise accommodation around 3am and was stable.

Sanyal was the lone Indian competitor in the men's traditional -77kg MMA category.

Accommodation issues added to difficult build-up

Sanyal's withdrawal came after a disrupted build-up to the Asian Games. He had previously spoken about spending more than 10 hours dealing with accommodation problems in Nagoya after accreditation issues prevented him from accessing his assigned accommodation.

The situation was particularly challenging given the demands of a combat sport, where athletes have to manage weight, nutrition and recovery carefully before competition.

Sanyal ultimately did not get the opportunity to begin his Asian Games campaign in the arena, receiving a bye before being ruled out ahead of his quarterfinal.

India's other MMA competitor, Suchika Tariyal, advanced to the women's traditional -60kg semifinals earlier on Sunday to assure the country of a medal.