Indian gold medallist reportedly dies by poisoning amid doping suspension

Dubai: Indian para-athlete Neeraj Yadav, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, has died at the age of 42 after allegedly consuming poison at his residence, with the circumstances surrounding his death remaining unclear.

The F55-class athlete’s death was confirmed by S Satyanarayana, head coach of India’s para-athletics team. A postmortem examination was underway at a Delhi hospital on Wednesday.

“Neeraj has died by suicide. It is very unfortunate that such a thing has happened,” Satyanarayana said according to Times of India, adding that he had received information about the incident.

Reports suggested Yadav had been struggling emotionally after missing the Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya following a doping suspension. However, the coach declined to establish a direct link between the suspension and his death, saying the reasons behind the tragedy remained unclear.

Yadav was among India’s most successful para-athletes in seated throwing events, winning three gold medals at the Asian Para Games.

He claimed the men’s javelin throw title at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta. At the 2023 edition in Hangzhou, China, he added two more gold medals, winning both the javelin and discus throw events.

The National Anti-Doping Agency provisionally suspended him after an out-of-competition sample collected in Bengaluru in October 2023 tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid. He later sought DNA testing of his sample through the anti-doping disciplinary process.

Nevertheless, his achievements established him as a prominent figure in Indian para-athletics and a consistent performer at continental level.

Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Yadav initially pursued wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics. He competed in the F55 classification, which includes seated field events.

His death has left the Indian para-sports community mourning the loss of an athlete who delivered major international honours for the country.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain under examination, and no definitive explanation has been established.