New Delhi: Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav has allegedly died by suicide after consuming poison at his residence, with a postmortem examination underway at a Delhi hospital Wednesday.
S Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, confirmed the incident, saying he had learnt of the tragedy but that 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.
It was learnt that the athlete took poison.
The 42-year-old Yadav, who competed in the F55 category, 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.
Satyanarayana added, “I can’t speculate the exact reason but if you ask me, I would say a sportsperson should face the highs and lows with equanimity. It’s unfortunate that he chose this far and take the extreme step.”
One of India’s accomplished para-athletes, Yadav won three gold medals at the Asian Para Games — a javelin title at the 2018 edition in Jakarta, followed by gold medals in the javelin and discus at Hangzhou in 2023.
After the NADA report reached WADA, the two gold medals he won at 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games were stripped of by the Asian Paralympic Committee. Since he tested positive for a banned substance, he also did not get the cash reward from the government.
Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Yadav initially took up wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics, where he went on to make his mark on the international stage.
Yadav competed in the F55 category, which covers seated field events, including the shot put, discus and javelin.