‘While we told Dingko Singh about opponent’s model, he’d solely inform us ‘Sahib, major karega”

– By Gurbax Singh Sandhu
In the age of the previous system of scoring, there have been not often any Indian boxers who would go for the kill proper from the primary spherical. Dingko Singh was one such boxer and his swift ft motion coupled with correct punches helped him beat any boxer on his day. When I first heard the information of Dingko’s loss of life, I used to be enthusiastic about how he had been dodging most cancers for the final 4 years and we had hoped that he’ll defeat this enemy preventing, like all of the 5 rounds within the boxing when he performed.
There are some boxers who stay cool regardless of being aggressive however Dingko was a boxer, who displayed each anger and aggression overtly. Numerous occasions, I and international coach BI Fernandez needed to spend time with him making him convert the anger into the proper of aggression. I don’t know whether or not that anger got here as a consequence of being an orphan however no matter life threw at Dingko, he fought like a champion even in his final years.
When Dingko gained one of the best boxer award within the Kings Cup in Thailand in 1997, we sat with him and labored on his left punches aside from aiming for a left hook blended with a proper hook. And he would solely inform us that ‘Sir, I will do that and I will beat him (The opponent)’. He displayed no worry in his eyes and the one time I noticed him devastated was when his title was struck off by the IOA and Sports Ministry as a consequence of no matter causes a day forward of the Indian contingent’s departure for 1998 Asian Games.
The day earlier than departure when the choice to drop him was introduced, Dingko drank loads and it was shocking to listen to that since he was at all times a disciplined boxer. But rejection damage him to the extent that he headed in direction of the Railway tracks about one and half km from NIS, Patiala to aim suicide.
Some NIS officers and boxers noticed him. I had been visiting a Gurudwara close to Patiala to pay my obeisance previous to the crew’s departure as I at all times did. I instructed them to get Dingko in a room with two of my trainees. On my manner again, I talked with Mr Ashok Kumar Mattoo and instructed him that this boy has to go and he has the aggression and expertise to win the medal at Bangkok. We spent the entire night time with Dingko and the following day, when he was included, it was an enormous reduction.

Dingko had been so offended with life and the choice, that we as coaches nervous about him. When his title was included after the officers intervened, maybe this made him decided to show a degree in Bangkok. We had studied the opponents and whereas we instructed Dingko concerning the opponent’s model, he would solely inform us, ‘Sahib, main karega’. Perhaps that got here from his Army coaching or the times spent within the orphanage, which helped him learn to face the world.
When he knocked out the Uzbek boxer Timur Tulyakov within the fourth spherical within the ultimate, I might see the enjoyment in his eyes. He would tackle me and Fernandez as Sahib and would scream, “Sahib, maine bola tha kar diya,” in damaged Hindi sentences he knew at the moment. Later that 12 months, he suffered a wrist damage. Even although he underwent an operation, it did hamper him just a little. At the Sydney Olympics, he misplaced to eventual bronze medallist Serhiy Danylchenko and he had the caliber to win an Olympic medal.
READ | Ding’KO Singh: ‘The hottest blood ever’
Once he retired, he would play and later coach the Indian Navy crew and was primarily based on INS Hamla in Malad, Mumbai. We would typically meet him in the course of the nationals with the Services crew and he would make it a degree to inform his trainees about us. Whenever a boxer from Indian Navy got here within the nationwide camp, Dingko would ship his needs for us and it was heartening to see him work as a coach.
Lots of people time period Dingko as an aggressive particular person or as treating coaches rudely. But I imagine {that a} Lion is just not meant to be in a cage. As coaches, we learnt learn how to handle Dingko. The solely factor which irritated him was coaches telling him issues for hours and he would simply nod. But he additionally knew that we’re pondering for his good. He was one of many lions of Indian boxing and stays top-of-the-line bantamweight boxers the nation has seen.
Gurbax Singh Sandhu, a former Indian boxing chief coach for greater than 26 years since 1990, spoke to Nitin Sharma.