Indian para-athlete Neeraj Yadav, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, was found dead at a flat in Delhi on Tuesday night, October 27. Initial information indicated suspected poisoning, although the circumstances of his death had not been established.
A post-mortem examination was being carried out at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital to determine the cause of death. Further details had not been confirmed at the time.
Neeraj Yadav's early life and sporting career
Yadav was 42 years old and competed in the F55 category. Born on February 10, 1984, in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, he developed post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven.
He began his sporting journey in wheelchair tennis, competing in the discipline from 2005 to 2012. In 2015, he moved to para-athletics and took part in the javelin throw, discus and shot put events in the F55 category.
Three Asian Para Games gold medals
Yadav secured his first Asian Para Games gold medal at the 2018 edition in Jakarta. He won the men's F55 javelin throw with an Asian-record effort of 29.84 metres.
He added two more gold medals at the 2022 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, which were held in October 2023. The medals came in the men's F55 javelin throw and discus events, taking his total Asian Para Games gold medal tally to three.
His record also included performances at international para-athletics Grand Prix events. He won gold at the Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix in 2022 and had earlier claimed silver at the Fazza Grand Prix in 2016.
Anti-doping case
Yadav was provisionally suspended by the National Anti-Doping Agency in November 2023 after testing positive for an anabolic steroid shortly before the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.
In 2024, he sought DNA testing of his sample, and the anti-doping disciplinary panel granted the request. The matter became a major challenge during his competitive career.
The suspected poisoning and the circumstances leading to his death remained unconfirmed, pending the post-mortem examination and further investigation by the authorities.
Yadav's three Asian Para Games gold medals and his contribution to Indian para-athletics form the central part of his sporting legacy.
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