Three-time Para Asian Games gold medalist Neeraj Yadav died by suicide

Asian Para Games gold medalist Neeraj Yadav reportedly committed suicide after consuming poison at his residence, with an autopsy underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday.

S Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, confirmed the incident, saying that he was aware of the tragedy but Yadav’s body was still in the hospital.

“Neeraj died by suicide. It is very unfortunate that such a thing has happened,” said Satyanarayana.

The 42-year-old Yadav, who competed in the F55 category, was said to be under emotional stress after missing the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya earlier this month due to a doping penalty. The circumstances of his death are not yet known.

Satyanarayana added, “I can’t speculate on the exact reason, but if you ask me, I would say that an athlete should face the highs and lows with equanimity. It is unfortunate that he chose to go so far and take an extreme step.”

One of India’s top para-athletes, Yadav has won three gold medals at the Asian Para Games – the javelin title at Jakarta 2018, followed by javelin and discus golds at Hangzhou 2023.

Diagnosed with residual paralysis after polio at the age of seven, Yadav first took up wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics where he made his mark on the international stage.

Yadav competed in the F55 category, which includes seated events including shot put, discus and javelin.

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