New Delhi, Oct 2027 : Three-time Asian Para Games javelin throw champion Neeraj Yadav has died by suicide at his flat, national chief para-athletics coach S. Satyanarayana confirmed on Tuesday. The circumstances behind his death remain unclear.
“Yes, Neeraj has died by suicide at his flat. This is extremely unfortunate and tragic. The cause behind the extreme step is yet to be ascertained,” Satyanarayana said on Wednesday.
Yadav, who hailed from Uttar Pradesh, was among India's accomplished para-athletes and represented the country at major international competitions. Diagnosed with polio at the age of seven, he used a wheelchair throughout his life but went on to establish himself as a successful competitor in para-athletics.
He began his sporting journey with wheelchair tennis, which he pursued for approximately seven years before switching to athletics in 2015. His breakthrough came at the Delhi State Athletics Meet that year, where he won gold medals in the shot put, javelin throw and discus throw events.
Yadav soon earned recognition at the international level. At the Fazza Grand Prix in 2016, he secured silver medals in the men's F55 shot put and discus throw events.
His major breakthrough came at the 2018 Asian Para Games, where he won gold in the men's javelin throw F55 category with an Asian record of 29.84 metres. The performance established him as one of India's leading para-athletes in the discipline.
At the 2022 Asian Para Games, held in Hangzhou, China, in October 2023, Yadav won two gold medals. He triumphed in the discus throw in the F54/55/56 category and secured another gold in the men's F55 javelin throw event.
He also won gold at the Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco in 2022, setting a new Indian national record.
Yadav's journey from wheelchair tennis to becoming a multiple Asian Para Games champion reflected years of sporting dedication and achievement. His death has come as a shock to India's para-athletics community, where he was recognised for his international success and contribution to the sport.
