Three-Time Asian Para Games Gold Medallist Neeraj Yadav Found Dead At Home

Neeraj Yadav, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, allegedly died by suicide at his residence in Delhi on Tuesday. The heartbreaking news was confirmed by Indian para athletics coach S Satyanarayana during an exclusive conversation with NDTV. A post-mortem examination was underway at Delhi's GTB Hospital on Wednesday, where Paralympic champion Sumit Antil and fellow para-athlete Vipin Kasana were present. Satyanaran said he was in a state of shock following the news of Neeraj's death.

"I am shocked by this news. Players should not do such things. I am trying to speak with his family. But I have received the news that a player is no longer with us. Neeraj Yadav was an Asian Games champion and a fine athlete. This is a huge loss for all of us," Satyanarayana told NDTV.

Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Neeraj competed in the F55 category in para javelin and discus throw. The 42-year-old from Uttar Pradesh won gold in the javelin throw at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Para Games and the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. He also clinched the discus throw gold medal in Hangzhou.

The F55 category is a para-athletics classification for athletes who compete in seated throwing events, including javelin, discus and shot put.

Neeraj was reportedly under emotional stress after missing the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya earlier this month due to a doping suspension. The circumstances surrounding his death are yet to be established. He had previous played wheelchair tennis between 2005 and 2012 before switching to para-athletics.

In October 2023, Neeraj Yadav returned a positive test for the anabolic steroid Stanozolol in an out-of-competition sample collected by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) at the SAI Centre in Bengaluru. 

He was subsequently charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) in November 2023 and was placed under a provisional suspension in 2024. 

The case had significant repercussions for India's performance at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, as two gold medals were stripped from the country's tally. 

As a result, India's medal count dropped from 111 to 108, including a reduction in gold medals from 29 to 27, causing the nation to slip from fifth to sixth place in the final standings. 

However, Neeraj maintained his innocence throughout the proceedings, claiming sample contamination or a possible mix-up in the testing process, and had demanded a DNA test to verify the authenticity of the sample.

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