Building up for the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, the big question and focus for India was whether the men’s hockey team can end a 32-year wait to crown themselves champions. There was South Korea, and Pakistan standing in their way, although the previous victory had come at the Thai capital, in the 1966 Games.
As he made a mark in junior national tournaments as a teenager, he was seen as a big future prospect. It was natural progression when he became a regular in the national camp, and it was, as expected, included in the squad for the Bangkok Asian Games a year later. A familiar city with a huge following for martial arts and other contact sports seemed to beckon the youngster. With lightheavy Gurcharan Singh and middleweight Jitender Singh, India held high hopes of medals. Maybe a gold even. However, controversy broke as Dingko, still in the camp at the National Institute of Sports, Patiala, was left shattered after the selectors decided to cut the relatively inexperienced boxer from the squad. The decision seemed to have been taken as they felt India may not fare well in the lower divisions. News filtered in that a distraught Dingko, after a heavy drinking session, was found lying in the NIS premises. With the issue grabbing unwanted media attention, the selectors realised it was one unanticipated controversy that will have to be quickly doused. Dingko was back in the squad!
For the low he experienced, the Manipur boxer soared at the Games, writing his own dream script by winning gold, India’s first for 16 years—since heavyweight Kaur Singh emerged victorious in the 1982 New Delhi Asian Games. Dingko gave notice of his abilities at international level first up when he won the title at the 1997 Kings Cup tournament in Bangkok.
However, the sheer human drama surrounding bantamweight boxer Dingko Singh took over days before the squad was scheduled to leave for Bangkok.
The men’s hockey team too delivered on their mission, claiming gold after 32 years with a shootout win over South Korea in the final. Two days later, at the send-off function for the squad at a Delhi five-star hotel, the media made a beeline to interview Dingko. Dressed in black, Dingko was seated at a table and boxers from the heavier categories had thrown a protective ring, forbidding the media to keep off. Chief coach Gurbux Singh Sandhu, from an era when the job of manager went with the territory, requested the media not to talk to Dingko as he had been calmed down with difficulty. The Bangkok high made possible by the nimble boxer though will remain as one of India’s Asian Games highs.
