NEW DELHI: Indian para-athletics was left in shock after three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav allegedly died by suicide at a flat on Tuesday night, sources told TOI. The 42-year-old, who competed in the F55 category, suspected to have consumed poison. A postmortem examination was underway at Delhi’s GTB Hospital on Wednesday at the time of filing the report.Who was Neeraj Yadav? – All you need to knowParalympic champion Sumit Antil and fellow para-athlete Vipin Kasana were present at the hospital, sources said. The circumstances surrounding Yadav’s death are yet to be established.India’s chief para-athletics coach S Satyanarayana confirmed the development to TOI, saying he had learnt that Yadav had died by suicide.“Yes, Neeraj has died by suicide. That is what I have also come to know. I have been told that he consumed poison at his flat last night. This is extremely unfortunate and tragic,” Satyanarayana said.The coach suggested that Yadav may have been under emotional distress after missing the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games because of his doping suspension. However, the circumstances that led to his death remain unconfirmed.“He would have been looking forward to competing at these Games. Medals at the Asian Para Games can bring substantial government cash awards and opportunities for stable employment. But his suspension had not ended, and he could not compete. It is possible that this affected him deeply, but we cannot say for certain what he was going through,” Satyanarayana added.Yadav, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, was among India’s accomplished para-athletes. Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, he nevertheless pursued his sporting ambitions. He played wheelchair tennis between 2005 and 2012 before switching to para-athletics.His breakthrough came at the 2015 Delhi State Athletics Meet, where he won gold medals in the shot put, javelin and discus events.Yadav announced himself on the international stage at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, winning gold in the men’s F55 javelin throw with an Asian-record effort of 29.84 metres.He subsequently clinched two gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games in 2023, winning the javelin and discus events to take his career tally to three Asian Para Games titles.However, his career was clouded by an anti-doping case. The National Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended him after an out-of-competition sample collected in Bengaluru in October 2023 tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. He later sought DNA testing of his sample through the anti-doping disciplinary process.His death marks a tragic turn in the life of an athlete who overcame significant physical challenges to reach the top of Asian para-athletics.
