Three-Time Asian Para Games Gold Medallist Neeraj Yadav Dies at 42

New Delhi: Indian para-athletics star Neeraj Yadav, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, has died at the age of 42 after allegedly consuming poison at his residence. A postmortem examination was underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding his death remain unclear.

Indian para-athletics head coach S. Satyanarayana confirmed the incident and expressed grief over the loss.

Yadav won gold in javelin at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta and secured two more gold medals in javelin and discus at the 2023 Games in Hangzhou. He competed in the F55 category, which features seated field events.

Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Yadav initially pursued wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics and achieving international success. Reports suggest he was under emotional stress after missing the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games due to a doping suspension, though no confirmed link between the suspension and his death has been established.