Guwahati: Asian Para Games gold medallist Neeraj Yadav has allegedly died by suicide after reportedly consuming poison at his residence. The para-athlete was said to have been under considerable emotional stress following a doping suspension that prevented him from competing at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games earlier this month.

Yadav’s body was taken to a hospital in Delhi for a postmortem examination on Wednesday. The circumstances surrounding his death have not yet been officially established.

S Satyanarayana, head coach of the Indian para-athletics team, confirmed the death and said he had remained in regular contact with Yadav since the doping case emerged following the 2023 Asian Para Games in Hangzhou.

“Neeraj has died by suicide. It is very unfortunate that such a thing has happened. I had a very close relationship with him. After his name came up in the doping case, I was constantly in touch with him,” Satyanarayana told PTI.

Coach recalls athlete’s distress after doping suspension

Yadav, who competed in the F55 category, was serving a four-year suspension after testing positive for a banned substance. The disciplinary action also resulted in the withdrawal of the two gold medals he had won in javelin and discus at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Para Games. He also lost the associated government cash reward and the prospect of securing a government job.

Satyanarayana said Yadav had been under significant stress following the doping case. According to the coach, the athlete had contacted him a few months ago to ask whether he could participate in the selection trials for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games.

“I told him it was not possible as he still had a few months of his suspension left,” Satyanarayana said.

The coach said the suspension had significantly affected Yadav’s sporting career, financial security and employment prospects, particularly after his achievements at the Hangzhou Games.

“When he won two gold medals at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games, he was in line for a Class I government job in Uttar Pradesh, which would have improved his life. He was supposed to get more than Rs 3 crore and a Class I job. His peers had all got jobs,” he said.

Doping proceedings and loss of rewards

According to Satyanarayana, Yadav lost the financial reward after the Asian Paralympic Committee stripped him of his Hangzhou gold medals following the doping proceedings.

The coach said the process began with the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), after which the report was referred to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Asian Paralympic Committee took action. He attributed the delay in the proceedings to the appeals process.

While expressing shock over Yadav’s death, Satyanarayana said he could not confirm the precise circumstances that led to the incident.

“I can’t speculate on the exact reason, but he was depressed on a number of counts. One was the shock of losing the two gold medals, the second was the cash award he would have received, and the third was his job prospects,” he said.

The coach also said he believed Yadav had consumed poison, but added that the exact substance would be determined through the postmortem examination.

Satyanarayana said he was struggling to understand why Yadav had taken such a step, noting that para-athletes had several potential avenues for earning a livelihood, including coaching. He also pointed out that Yadav had received prize money for winning gold at the 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta.

A decorated para-athletics career

Yadav won three gold medals at the Asian Para Games during his career. He claimed the men’s javelin throw title at the 2018 edition in Jakarta before winning gold in both javelin and discus at the 2023 Games in Hangzhou. The two Hangzhou titles were subsequently withdrawn following the doping case.

Diagnosed with post-polio residual paralysis at the age of seven, Yadav initially pursued wheelchair tennis before switching to para-athletics. He went on to establish himself as an international-level competitor in the sport.

The F55 classification applies to seated field events in para-athletics, including shot put, discus and javelin.

Yadav’s death has brought renewed attention to the pressures faced by elite para-athletes when disciplinary action, career setbacks and the loss of financial opportunities affect their sporting and personal lives.