Three-Time Asian Para Games Gold Medallist Neeraj Yadav Dies at 42

Para-athlete Neeraj Yadav, 42, was found dead at a flat on Tuesday night, with authorities suspecting he died by suicide after allegedly consuming poison. A postmortem examination was carried out at Delhi's GTB Hospital on Wednesday.

Yadav, born in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, in 1984, was diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis as a child after suffering neural damage at age seven. He initially competed in wheelchair tennis for several years before shifting to para-athletics in 2015, going on to win his first gold medals in shot put, javelin and discus at a state-level meet that year.

He rose to international prominence at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, setting an Asian record in the men's F55 javelin throw to claim gold. Five years later, at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in 2023, he added two more gold medals, winning the discus event in the F54/55/56 class and retaining his javelin title in the F55 category, taking his overall tally of Asian Para Games golds to three.

Yadav also had a strong showing at international grand prix events, including a gold-medal, record-setting performance in Morocco in 2022, alongside earlier silver medals in shot put and discus at a competition in 2016.

His career suffered a major blow in 2023 when the National Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended him after an out-of-competition sample tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid. He had sought DNA testing of the sample as part of the disciplinary process, but the suspension ultimately kept him from competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games.

His death has left a deep void in India's para-sports community, which regarded him as a determined and accomplished competitor despite the physical and professional challenges he faced throughout his career.