Indian MMA fighter Varun Sanyal’s Asian Games campaign ended before his men’s traditional 77kg quarter-final, after he was declared medically unfit and failed to make the required weight, ending his chance of winning a medal.

The setback came shortly after Sanyal passed out while using a sauna on a cruise ship as he attempted to cut weight ahead of his competition.

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According to MMA Sports Federation of India president Nikhil Kundera, Sanyal lost consciousness on Sunday while trying to bring his weight down for the event. A Nepalese athlete found him in that condition and managed to wake him.

Sanyal then contacted Kundera and was taken to hospital.

“He was able to call me and we took him to hospital,” Kundera told PTI.

Kundera said there was no major cause for concern after Sanyal was examined and that the fighter was brought back to the cruise ship at around 3am. He said Sanyal was stable and out of danger.

The medical episode was followed by another setback for Sanyal. He was declared medically unfit and failed to make weight for his men’s traditional 77kg quarter-final, ruling him out of the bout and ending his Asian Games campaign.

Sanyal, who is the son of Sanjiv Sanyal, a member of the Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council, had been attempting to cut weight for Sunday's competition when the sauna incident occurred.