Dingko Singh

Dingko Singh was born in a small village in the North-eastern Indian state of Manipur on the border with Bangladesh. He was brought up in an orphanage as his parents were unable to raise their son due to their financial situation. Singh coped with the harsh treatment given to them at the hands of other boys by using his fists effectively and this soon came to the attention of scouts from the Sports Authority of India who were looking for natural talent amongst the population.

He won a regional junior title in 1989 and soon graduated to the Indian national team. He was named best boxer at the King’s Cup in Thailand in 1997 but was overlooked for a place at the Asian Games the following year. After going on a drinking spree to drown his disappointment he was then then told that the decision was reversed. Singh made the most of his opportunity, beating two of the world’s top five ranked bantamweights and taking India’s first boxing gold at Asian Games level for 16 years. Hopes were high for him at the Sydney Olympics but, after a first-round bye, he was defeated by Serhiy Danylchenko of Ukraine, the European champion at the weight. Singh had been hampered by a wrist injury suffered in 1999, which never set correctly.

When his sporting journey ended, he concentrated on his career in the Indian Navy to the expense of turning professional as a boxer. He reached the rank of Master Chief Petty Officer while retaining his links to the sport as a trainer to boxers in the Indian Navy. In 2017 he was diagnosed with bile duct cancer ,which later spread to his liver. Despite having 70% of his liver removed and surviving a bout with Covid-19, he succumbed to the cancer in June 2021. His success is credited with creating an inspiration in Manipur, which led to the emergence of world amateur champions Mary Kom and Sarita Devi.