Neeraj Yadav, Asian Para Games Javelin Champion, Dies at 42

The national para-athletics head coach confirmed that the athlete died by suicide. Police have not established the circumstances.

New Delhi: Neeraj Yadav, one of India’s most accomplished para-athletes and the 2018 Asian Para Games javelin champion, has died at the age of 42. India’s chief para-athletics coach S. Satyanarayana confirmed that Yadav died by suicide at his residence on Tuesday, October 27. A post-mortem examination was underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday.

“Unfortunately, such a thing has happened,” Satyanarayana said. He added that he could not speculate about the reason. Police have not yet established the circumstances of the death, and the allegations and reasons around it remain unclear.

A career built against the odds

Born on February 10, 1984, Yadav was diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven. He went on to compete in the F55 category, in which athletes throw from a seated position, in the javelin, discus and shot put.

His breakthrough came at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, where he won the javelin gold with an Asian record of 29.84 metres. In 2022, he added a gold at the Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco, with an Indian national record.

The Hangzhou chapter

Yadav won the javelin and discus F55 events at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, held in October 2023. The achievement did not stand. He tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid in an out-of-competition test carried out by the National Anti-Doping Agency before the Games, and he contested the finding, reportedly seeking DNA testing of his sample. Records now show both Hangzhou golds as disqualified, which means his Asian Para Games gold medal count stands at one, from 2018. Many reports on his death still describe him as a three-time champion.

Tributes and reaction

Satyanarayana urged athletes to face the highs and lows of sport with equanimity. Tributes from the para-sport community are expected to follow, and no statements from the Paralympic Committee of India or the sports ministry were available at the time of writing.

What happens next

The post-mortem will be followed by police formalities. Authorities have not yet shared further details. This report will be updated when more information is available.

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