N Dingko Singh, an Asian Games gold-medallist in boxing, passed away on Thursday in Imphal after losing his battle with liver cancer. He was 42. Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar paid tribute to the former Indian boxer by sharing a heartfelt note on Twitter. "RIP Dingko Singh. You will always be remembered for the glory you brought our country in the ring. Deepest condolences to the family," Farhan tweeted. Along with his condolences, Farhan also posted a picture of Dingko Singh in his loving memory.
The Manipur boxer had won gold in bantamweight at the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games. Last year, he had tested positive for coronavirus. Though he recovered from Covid-19, he had to undergo radiation therapy for liver treatment in January 2020. He even had to sell his house for his treatment.
An Arjuna awardee in 1998, he had been fighting liver cancer since 2018. He was also honoured with Padma Shri in 2013.
Coming back to Farhan, the actor awaits the release of his upcoming boxing film Toofan. It is an underdog tale about "spreading love". Talking about the film, filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said, "Toofaan is a story of an underdog and most importantly, it's a story about spreading love rather than creating differences. Every country, whether rich or poor, is going through some issue or the other and we all carry wounds. Toofaan is not an attempt to scratch those wounds, but to apply a soothing balm. Anybody from any part of the world will identify with that."
--with inputs from agencies
