Former India boxer, Ngangom Dingko Singh, died on Thursday after a prolonged illness. He was 42. (More Sports News)
Dingko won a gold medal in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games in the 54 kg category.
Dingko has been battling ill-health for a number of years, starting with liver cancer, for which he is being treated since 2017. And last year, he had tested positive for COVID-19, but had fought through and recovered.
"I’m shocked and deeply saddened by the demise of Shri N Dingko Singh earlier in the morning today. A Padma Shri awardee, Dingko Singh was one of the most outstanding boxers Manipur has ever produced. My sincere condolences to the bereaved family. May his soul rest in peace," Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh tweeted.
In a celebrated career, Dingko not only clinched medals for India, but became an inspiration to many generations of boxers, including legendary Mary Kom, Sarita Laishram and Vijender Singh.
He was employed with the Indian Navy and also worked as a coach before ill-health confined him to his home in Imphal.
"I’m deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Dingko Singh. One of the finest boxers India has ever produced, Dinko's gold medal at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games sparked the Boxing chain reaction in India. I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family. RIP Dinko," tweeted union sports minister Kiren Rijiju.
Dingko was bestowed with the Arjuna award in 1998 and the Padma Shri in 2013.
