Published:
Indian para-athlete Neeraj Yadav, a three-time Asian Para Games gold medallist, has died at the age of 42, according to reports published on October 28, 2026. The circumstances surrounding his death had not been established in the reports available at publication, and a postmortem examination was reported to be underway in Delhi.
Yadav was among India’s accomplished seated field-event athletes, competing in the F55 classification. He won a javelin gold medal at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta and added gold medals in javelin and discus at the 2023 Games in Hangzhou. His career included a rise from wheelchair tennis into international para-athletics and a later anti-doping suspension.
Yadav’s breakthrough on the continental stage came in Jakarta in 2018, where he won the men’s F55 javelin title with a throw of 29.84 metres. Reports described the mark as an Asian record. The performance established him among the leading competitors in his event and became a defining achievement of his international career.
He returned to the Asian Para Games podium in Hangzhou in 2023, winning gold in both javelin and discus. Those victories brought his Asian Para Games gold-medal total to three across two editions. The results reflected his ability to compete in more than one seated throwing event at the highest regional level.
Yadav was diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis when he was seven years old. Reports say he played wheelchair tennis for around seven years before turning to para-athletics, beginning his athletics career in 2015. At the Delhi State Athletics Meet that year, he won gold medals in shot put, javelin and discus, according to published accounts of his career.
News reports on October 28 said Yadav was found dead in Delhi and that authorities were examining the circumstances. The reports also said a postmortem examination was underway. At the time of publication, no definitive account of the circumstances had been established in the information available to this article.
Some reports quoted Indian para-athletics head coach S. Satyanarayana confirming that he had received news of Yadav’s death. Comments about possible emotional distress connected to his absence from the latest Asian Para Games were presented as speculation, not an established explanation. It would be inappropriate to treat any suggested factor as the cause without verified findings.
Yadav had been provisionally suspended in an anti-doping case after a sample collected out of competition in Bengaluru in October 2023 reportedly tested positive for stanozolol. Reports said the suspension prevented him from competing at the 2026 Asian Para Games in Aichi-Nagoya. The anti-doping matter is part of the documented timeline of his career, but available reporting does not establish a causal link between that case and his death.
Yadav’s sporting story included a transition between sports, a place on India’s international para-athletics team and three Asian Para Games titles. His 2018 javelin result and double-gold performance in Hangzhou remain the principal competitive milestones cited in reports about his career.
His death has been reported as a loss for India’s para-athletics community. Further information about the circumstances should be guided by official findings and verified statements rather than speculation. This article will need updating if authorities or the relevant sporting bodies release confirmed details.
News of a death can be difficult for family members, teammates and readers. Anyone experiencing emotional distress or feeling unsafe should consider reaching out to a trusted person, a qualified mental-health professional or local emergency support. Seeking help is a practical step, and people do not have to manage distress alone.
For the sporting community, Yadav’s record is a reminder of the athletes behind the medals and the importance of supporting competitors through difficult periods as well as celebrating their achievements. His three Asian Para Games gold medals and his progression from wheelchair tennis to international para-athletics form the verified sporting legacy highlighted in reports published after his death.
