Dingko Singh

Master Chief Petty Officer Dingko Singh (born 1 January 1979) is an Indian boxer who won the gold medal at 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok. He is from the North-eastern Indian state of Manipur.[1] He was awarded the Padma Shri by Government of India in 2013.[2]

Dingko Singh
Dingko displays his gold medal during the awarding ceremony for the 54kg class boxing final in the 13th Asian Games.
Personal information
Full nameNgangom Dingko Singh
Nationality India
Born (1979-01-01) 1 January 1979
Manipur, India
Weight54 kg (119 lb)
Military career
Allegiance India
Service/branch Indian Navy
Rank Master Chief Petty Officer 1st Class
AwardsPadma Shri
Arjuna Award
Sport
SportBoxing
Weight classBantamweight

Achievements

Ngangom Dingko Singh, usually known as 'Dingko Singh' is an Indian Boxer and considered to be one of the most outstanding boxers India has ever produced. He won the King's cup in Bangkok in 1997 and won the Asian Games gold in the 1998 Bangkok Games. He is a service personnel of the Indian Navy. He is well known for having grabbed a Gold Medal in the boxing event at the Bangkok Asian Games in Thailand in 1998.

Early life

He was born on 1 January 1979 in a remote village called Sekta in the Imphal East District, Manipur to a very poor family. Dingko had to fight back adversities right since the beginning of his life, and was brought up in an orphanage.

National Boxing

The trainers at a Special Area Games Scheme initiated by the Sports Authority of India identified the hidden talents of Dingko, and he was trained under the expert supervision of Major O.P. Bhatia, who later on became the Executive Director of the Teams Wing in the Sports Authority of India. Dingko's talent, efforts and training began paying off when he won the Sub Junior National Boxing Championship in 1989 at Ambala at a young age of just 10 years. This achievement brought Dingko into the eyes of the selectors and coaches, who began to see him as a promising Boxing star of India.[3]

International Boxing

He made his debut into the arena of International Boxing in 1997, and won the King's cup 1997 held at Bangkok, Thailand. Apart from winning the tournament, Dingko Singh was also declared the best boxer of the meet.

The Golden Opportunity

He was selected for the Indian Boxing squad participating in the Bangkok Asian Games 1998. For unknown reasons he was dropped from the team at the last minutes and dejected Dingko went on a drinking spree, collapsing after a long session of drinks. Eventually he was selected and the event proved to be pinnacle of his career as he created history by winning the Gold Medal in the 54 kg Bantamweight category.

The Journey to Gold

In his journey to the Gold, Dingko had created a major upset by defeating Wong Prages Sontaya, an excellent Boxer from Thailand in the semifinal match. Wong was World No. 3 Boxer at that time, and Dingko's victory surprised everybody, the whole nation now expecting something special from him.

The Golden Moment

And the most glorious moments in the Boxing event of the Bangkok Asian Games 1998 arrived when Dingko combated the well known Boxer from Uzbekistan, Timur Tulyakov in the final match. At that time, Timur was holding World No. 5 ranking. Dingko had just moved up to the 54 kg category from the 51 kg a few months back before winning the Gold, which made his victory a lot more impressive. During the match, he proved to be way far better than his opponent, and Timur had to retire after the fourth round of the fight.

Awards & Honors

To commemorate his excellence in the sport of Boxing, and his extraordinary contribution to the nation by his consistent efforts and dedication, Dingko Singh was honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1998 and later with the Padma Shri Award, the country's fourth-highest civilian award, in 2013.

Personal life

Dingko did not go professional unlike other boxers as he is a service personnel of the Indian Navy. He is a boxing coach and a very respected figure in the Indian Navy.

Media

A movie inspired by his life is said to be in the making. The movie starring Shahid Kapoor, to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon is expected to go on floors by April 2019.[4]

References
  1. S. Rifaquat, Ali (13 November 1999). "India's most volatile pugilist". The Tribune. Retrieved 20 November 2009.
  2. "Padma Awards Announced" (Press release). Ministry of Home Affairs. 25 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  3. "Dingko Singh raised in an orphanage to asian games gold". KhelKhiladi. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  4. "Shahid Kapoor to portray boxing hero Dingko Singh on screen - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 30 August 2018.
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