Asian Games gold-medallist in boxing, Dingko Singh, passed away on Thursday in Imphal after losing his battle with liver cancer. The sports fraternity as well as Bollywood celebrities paid tribute to the late hero through social media posts and offered their condolences to the family. Actor Shahid Kapoor took to Twitter on Friday and said that Singh was one of the finest boxers.
Shahid Kapoor tweeted, "Padma Shri Dingko Singh was one of the finest boxers, an award winning sports person who's brought glory to our nation several times. He will always remain a source of inspiration for the young generations. My sincere condolences to his dear ones. May his soul rest in peace."
Earlier in the day, actor-filmmaker Farhan akhtar had also paid tributes to boxer Dingko Singh. "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.
Farhan Akhtar will soon be seen playing the role of a boxer in his upcoming film Toofan.
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.
On a related note, there were rumours that Shahid Kapoor will be stepping into the shoes of the late boxer for his biopic. However, nothing was announced. Shahid had expressed his wish to play Dingko Singh in the film to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon. Shahid had said, "I have the rights for Dingko Singh. It's a film I really want to make, and I'll make it."
"There's nothing that I've committed to. Everything is in stages of conversation and discussions. There'll be an official announcement soon on what I'm doing next."
Reacting to Dingko Singh's death, director Raja Krishna Menon said, "It is unfortunate and terrible. This has come as a shock. I knew he was ill and suffering but I didn’t know it was this bad. He was a wonderful human being and a spiritual person. It is unfortunate that we couldn’t make the film before he could have seen it."
