Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav dies by suicide, doping suspension under scrutiny
Indian para-athlete Neeraj Yadav has died by suicide, his coach confirmed. His death follows a doping suspension and the withdrawal of his two Hangzhou gold medals.
- Oct 28, 2026,
- Updated Oct 28, 2026, 1:49 PM IST
Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav has allegedly died by suicide after consuming poison at his residence. A postmortem examination was underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday, with the circumstances surrounding his death yet to be established.
S Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, confirmed the athlete's death, describing the incident as unfortunate.
“Neeraj has died by suicide. It is very unfortunate that such a thing has happened,” Satyanarayana said, adding that Yadav's body was still at the hospital.
The 42-year-old athlete, 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. However, the exact circumstances and reasons behind his death remain unclear.
Satyanarayana said he could not speculate on the reasons behind the incident but stressed that athletes must learn to cope with both success and setbacks.
Yadav was among India's accomplished para-athletes, having won three gold medals at the Asian Para Games. He clinched the javelin title at the 2018 edition in Jakarta before securing gold medals in the javelin and discus events at the 2023 Games in Hangzhou.
However, his achievements at Hangzhou were later affected by a doping violation. Following a report by the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) that reached the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the Asian Paralympic Committee stripped him of the two gold medals he had won at the 2023 Games. He was also denied the government's cash reward following the positive test for a banned substance.
Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Yadav initially pursued wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics. He subsequently established himself on the international stage through his performances in seated field events.
The F55 category includes seated competitions in disciplines such as shot put, discus and javelin.