‘I had no choice’: MMA fighter Varun Sanyal breaks silence after weight-cut blackout
Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal withdrew from the Asian Games after blacking out during an unmonitored weight-cutting session. Sanyal admitted the process was dangerous but cited a lack of support staff as the primary reason he had to manage the weight cut alone.
Why it matters
The incident raises concerns regarding athlete safety and the lack of institutional support for Indian combat sports representatives at international events.
NEW DELHI: India’s MMA fighter Varun Sanyal has broken his silence after being forced to withdraw from the Asian Games following a blackout during a sauna session, admitting that his attempt to cut weight on his own was “quite foolish” but saying he felt he had no choice.Sanyal, who was due to compete in the men’s traditional 77kg event, passed out on Sunday while trying to make weight at his cruise-ship accommodation. He was subsequently declared medically unfit and could not compete.“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.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in