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Neeraj Yadav: Asian Para Games gold medallist dies by suicide

The 42-year-old F55 para athlete allegedly consumed poison at his residence in Delhi.

By , Editor

· 1 min read

Asian Para Games
Asian Para Games (file photo) Photo: Emille Ilmansyah from Jakarta, Indonesia / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0

Neeraj Yadav, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, has died by suicide after consuming poison at his home. Hindustan Times reported the postmortem examination was underway at a Delhi hospital.

Key takeaways

  • Neeraj Yadav was 42 years old
  • He competed in the F55 category
  • He won three Asian Para Games gold medals
  • S Satyanarayana confirmed the incident

Three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav allegedly died by suicide on Tuesday night after consuming poison at his residence, with a postmortem examination underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday, Hindustan Times and India Today reported. S Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, confirmed the incident and said Yadav's body was still at the hospital. "Neeraj has died by suicide. It is very unfortunate that such a thing has happened," Satyanarayana said.

Career and background

The 42-year-old competed in the F55 category, which covers seated field events including shot put, discus and javelin. He won the javelin gold medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, defended it at Hangzhou in 2023, and also won gold in discus at Hangzhou in 2023, making him a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist. Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Yadav initially took up wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics.

Recent events and competition context

Yadav was reportedly under emotional stress after missing the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya earlier this month, Hindustan Times reported. The 2026 Asian Para Games, also known as Aichi-Nagoya 2026, were held from 18 to 24 October 2026 around Aichi Prefecture in Japan, with Nagoya as the first Japanese city to host the event. The 2022 Asian Para Games were held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, from 22 to 28 October 2023, after being postponed from 2022 due to COVID-19.

What happens next

Sportstar said the circumstances surrounding Yadav's death are yet to be established. Satyanarayana added that he could not speculate on the exact reason, but said a sportsperson should face the highs and lows with equanimity. The postmortem examination is currently underway.

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