Neeraj Yadav, a 42-year-old three-time Asian Para Games gold medalist, was found dead in a Delhi apartment on Tuesday night. According to reports, the cause of death remains unknown, and an autopsy was conducted at GTB Hospital in Delhi.
Yadav was from Uttar Pradesh and competed in the F55 category and was one of India's prominent para-athletes. He was diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at age seven and initially played wheelchair tennis before transitioning to field events in 2015, where he made his mark by sweeping gold in shot put, javelin, and discus at the Delhi State Athletics Meet.
S Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, has confirmed the incident.
The 42-year-old F55 competitor was reportedly dealing with emotional distress after a doping suspension prevented him from participating in the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya earlier this month.
Authorities have not yet determined the exact circumstances of his death. Yadav was one of India’s most successful para-athletes, securing three Asian Para Games gold medals, winning the javelin event at Jakarta 2018, and taking gold in both javelin and discus at Hangzhou 2023.
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