Dingko Singh, the pugilist from Manipur who won the Gold Medal for India at the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok, passed away on June 10 morning.

Dingko was battling ill-health for a number of years now, starting with liver cancer, for which he was being treated since 2017.

Condoling the death of the former boxer, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh, in a tweet, said, "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."

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. pic.twitter.com/oVLt9gZJaG

— N.Biren Singh (Modi Ka Parivar) (@NBirenSingh) June 10, 2021

It may be mentioned here that Dingko Singh had tested positive for COVID-19 in 2020, adding another one to the health challenges he was already battling.

However, the 41-year-old fought through and recovered from the disease.

Dingko Singh had undergone radiation therapy at the Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), Delhi in January 2020 before returning to Imphal.

Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju, condoling the death of the former boxer, said, "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 1998 Bangkok Asian Games sparked the Boxing chain reaction in India. I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family. RIP Dinko"

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 1998 Bangkok Asian Games sparked the Boxing chain reaction in India. I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family. RIP Dinko? pic.twitter.com/MCcuMbZOHM

— Kiren Rijiju (???? ?? ??????) (@KirenRijiju) June 10, 2021

When his condition worsened in April, Dingko was airlifted to the same hospital before being discharged. He had also contracted jaundice.

He has been bestowed with the Arjuna award in 1998 and was presented the nation's fourth-highest civilian honour Padma Shri in 2013.

Over the years, Singh had inspired several young boys and girls into boxing and this also includes six-time world champion MC Mary Kom.

It may be mentioned here that director Raja Krishna Menon, known for his films Chef and Airlift had announced a biopic starring Shahid Kapoor in 2019.

The film, however, was later "put on hold" and there is no certainty if it would ever see the light of the dawn.

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