Dingko Singh won the King's cup in Bangkok in 1997. Dingko Singh won the Asian Games gold in the 1998 Bangkok Games. Ngangom Dingko Singh, usually known as 'Dingko Singh' is an Indian Naval Boxer and considered to be one of the most outstanding boxers India has ever produced. 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- 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.
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.
In his journey to the Gold, Dingko had created a major upset by defeating Wong Prages Sontaya, an excellent Boxer from Thailand in the Semi Final 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 Padma shri in 2013
Personal life
Dingko did not go pro unlike other boxers as he is a service personnel of 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 making. The movie starring Shahid Kapoor, to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon is expected to go on floors by April 2019.
