Indian Paralympian Neeraj Yadav, a three time Asian Para Games gold medallist in para javelin throw and discus, died in Delhi on the night of 27 October 2026 at the age of 42. India’s chief para athletics coach S. Satyanarayana confirmed the death, while police said a postmortem was underway at Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital in Delhi. Yadav had missed the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games after a doping suspension ended his run at the top level of para athletics.
Who Was Neeraj Yadav?
Neeraj Yadav was an Indian para athlete from Ghaziabad who competed in seated throwing events in the F55 classification. Born on 10 February 1984, he won three Asian Para Games gold medals in javelin throw and discus throw. He died in Delhi on 27 October 2026 at age 42.
Yadav is survived by his wife and their three year old daughter. He hailed from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh and later ran the Anshneer Sports Academy in Sonipat in Haryana. His coach in para athletics was Vipin Kasana, while S. Satyanarayana, head coach of India’s para athletics team, confirmed news of his death.
He should not be confused with Neeraj Chopra, India’s Olympic champion in able bodied men’s javelin throw. Yadav competed in para athletics, which is track and field for athletes with physical, vision or intellectual impairments and is governed globally by World Para Athletics under the International Paralympic Committee (IPC).
From Wheelchair Tennis to Para Athletics Javelin Throw
Yadav was diagnosed with post polio residual paralysis at the age of seven. The condition left him with no movement in his lower limbs and he used a wheelchair. His father was a wrestler and volleyball player, and Yadav turned to sport early despite his disability.
He played wheelchair tennis from 2005 to 2012, for about seven years. He then shifted to para athletics around 2015 and took up javelin throw, discus throw and shot put. The change suited his upper body strength and throwing skill.
His breakthrough came at the 2015 Delhi State Athletics Meet, where he won gold in all three throws. In 2016 he won silver in shot put and discus at the Fazza Grand Prix in Dubai. In 2022 he won gold at the Marrakech Para Athletics Grand Prix in Morocco and set a new Indian national record.
Three Asian Para Games Gold Medals and Record Throws
Yadav’s biggest success came at the Asian Para Games, the continental multi sport event for para athletes held every four years. He won three gold medals across two editions.
| Edition | Event and Class | Medal and Mark |
|---|---|---|
| Jakarta 2018 | Men’s javelin throw F55 | Gold with 29.84 metres, an Asian record |
| Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023 | Men’s javelin throw F55 | Gold with 33.69 metres, a Games record |
| Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023 | Men’s discus throw F54/55/56 combined | Gold with 38.56 metres, an Asian record |
At Jakarta in 2018, his 29.84 metre throw set a new Asian mark and gave India gold in the event. At Hangzhou, which was delayed and held in October 2023, he topped both javelin and discus. Fellow Indian Tek Chand won bronze in the same Hangzhou javelin event with a personal best of 30.36 metres.
India finished Hangzhou with 111 medals, including 29 gold, 31 silver and 51 bronze, its best ever tally at the Asian Para Games. Para athletics gave India 55 of those medals. Yadav’s two Hangzhou golds were later removed from India’s official count after his doping case, which lowered the revised total in record books.
What Is the F55 Category in Para Athletics?
In para athletics, the letter F stands for field events and the number shows the level of impairment. Lower numbers mean more severe impairment. F55 is a seated throwing class for athletes with full arm function, partial to full trunk control and no leg movement.
Athletes in this class throw from a secure throwing frame or chair. They compete in shot put, discus throw and javelin throw. They must stay seated through the throw, with legs in contact with the seat. Lifting off the seat or pushing with the legs counts as a foul.
Yadav competed in this class because of his polio related paralysis. Men in F55 use a 600 gram javelin for seated throws, lighter than the 800 gram javelin used in able bodied men’s javelin throw. This detail often appears in questions on implement weights in para sport.
Why Was Neeraj Yadav Suspended for Doping?
In October 2023 the National Anti Doping Agency (NADA) collected an out of competition sample from Yadav in Bengaluru. The sample tested positive for stanozolol, an anabolic steroid that is banned at all times under the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) list. Stanozolol builds muscle and strength and carries a standard ban of up to four years.
NADA provisionally suspended him in late 2023, and the case led to a four year suspension. After the report reached WADA, the Asian Paralympic Committee stripped his two Hangzhou gold medals. India’s medal tally was adjusted and the associated cash awards were withheld.
Yadav denied wrongdoing. He said the sample may have been mixed up or contaminated and sought a DNA test of the sample during the hearing before the anti doping disciplinary panel. The suspension kept him out of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games in Japan, where India finished with a record 114 medals. His coach said the loss of medals, the loss of a possible cash award of more than ₹3 crore and the loss of a possible government job had left Yadav under stress, though the exact reason for his death remains under inquiry.
How Did Neeraj Yadav Die?
Neeraj Yadav was found unconscious beside his vehicle near Gate No. 1 of the Maujpur metro station in northeast Delhi on the night of 27 October 2026. He was taken to hospital and doctors declared him dead on arrival. Police received information from Guru Teg Bahadur (GTB) Hospital around 12.08 am on 28 October, and the body was kept at the hospital mortuary for postmortem.
Initial reports pointed to suspected poisoning. A senior hospital official mentioned aluminium phosphide poisoning in one report, but the final cause of death was subject to the postmortem report. Jafrabad police started proceedings under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which covers inquiry into suicide and other unnatural deaths. Police said no suicide note or video had been found.
Paralympic champion Sumit Antil and fellow thrower Vipin Kasana reached the hospital after the news broke. The investigation was still underway at the time of reporting, and police had not confirmed any direct link between the doping suspension and the death.
Key Takeaways
- Neeraj Yadav died in Delhi on 27 October 2026 at age 42 and was a three time Asian Para Games gold medallist in para athletics.
- Yadav won javelin gold at Jakarta 2018 with 29.84 metres and two golds at Hangzhou 2022, held in 2023, in javelin and discus.
- Yadav competed in the F55 seated throwing class after post polio residual paralysis at age seven and earlier played wheelchair tennis from 2005 to 2012.
- Yadav tested positive for stanozolol in October 2023, received a four year ban from NADA, and lost his two Hangzhou gold medals.
- Police opened inquiry under Section 194 of the BNSS after he was found near Maujpur metro station, with postmortem at GTB Hospital.
