Neeraj Yadav, 42, diagnosed with polio at age 7, won 3 Asian Para Games golds before doping ban and life cut short

Neeraj Yadav (Image credit: Agencies) Neeraj Yadav, one of India’s leading para-athletes, was found dead in an apartment on Tuesday night, leaving the para-sports community in shock. The 42-year-old, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medalist, reportedly died by suicide. He is suspected of having ingested poison.An autopsy was underway at Delhi’s GTB Hospital on Wednesday.Born on 10 February 1984, Yadav hailed from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh. At the age of seven, he was diagnosed with residual paralysis after suffering nerve damage.Despite the challenges, Yadav continued to pursue his sporting dreams. He played wheelchair tennis for about seven years, from 2005 to 2012, before turning to para-athletics in 2015. His father was a wrestler and volleyball player. Yadav got married in 2018.His first major success in athletics came in 2015 at the Delhi State Athletics Meet. He won gold medals in shot put, javelin and discus, marking the beginning of his journey in the sport.

Asian record and three gold medals

Yadav made his mark internationally at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia. In the F55 men’s javelin, he won gold with an Asian record performance of 29.84 meters.He returned to the top stage at the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, winning gold medals in both the discus and javelin. His discus gold came in the F54/55/56 class on October 24, while he won the men’s F55 javelin title on October 28.These two wins took his Asian Para Games gold medal haul to three.Yadav also won gold at the Para Athletics Grand Prix in Marrakesh, Morocco in September 2022, setting a new Indian national record. He previously won silver medals in the men’s F55 shot put and discus at the 2016 Fazza Grand Prix.

Doping case

Yadav’s career faced a major setback following an anti-doping case in 2023. He was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency after an out-of-competition sample taken in Bengaluru in October of that year tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid.He later requested DNA testing of his sample through the anti-doping disciplinary process. The suspension prevented him from competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games.

Neeraj Yadav’s Asian Para Games medal record

Medal Year Venue 2018 Jakarta Javelin Throw, F55Gold2022Hangzhou Discus Throw, F55Gold2022Hangzhou Javelin Throw, F55Gold