SAI suspends Dingku, jailed
Source: The Sangai Express / PTI

New Delhi/ Imphal, January 17 2014 : The Sports Authority of India (SAI) today suspended Asian Games gold me- dallist boxer Ng Dingku Singh pending inquiry after he alle-gedly assaulted a female weightlifter in Manipur.

Dingku Singh was arrest-ed by Imphal Police last eve- ning for hitting a female athlete at the Khuman Lampak sports complex in Imphal on Monday.

The boxer was posted as a SAI coach at its Imphal centre since December last year.

"SAI has placed him under suspension with imme- diate effect pending inquiry.

It's a serious matter," said a top SAI official to PTI.

Dingku surrendered to police yesterday after the family members of the female athlete registered a case against the boxer for hitting her with a stick.

The woman, who is a SAI player, is currently undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.

Dingku won the gold me-dal at the 13th Asian Games held in Bangkok in 1998 for which he received the prestigious Arjuna Award and was conferred the Padma Shri last year.

Ng Dingku arrives at the CJM

Dingku remanded: Ban-gkok Asian Games 1998 gold medallist Ng Dingku who was arrested by police for physically assaulting three girl weightlifting students has been remanded to judicial cus-tody for 15 days.

Dingku was produced before the Court of CJM, Im- phal West this afternoon.

He was charged under IPC Sections 354, 324 and Section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2000 .

Notably, out of three girl students who were thrashed by Dingku inside Khuman Lampak Sports Complex on January 13 night, one sustained critical injuries and she is still undergoing treatment in hospital.

Meanwhile, Protection and Preservation Committee Ma-nipur (PPCM) has strongly condemned bashing up of three girl weightlifting players by boxing coach Ng Dingku.

The women's body even suggested to rename Dingku Road in protest against his extreme behaviour.

It may be mentioned that the then jubilant W Nipama-cha-led Government named the road from Chingmeirong Khongnang Ani Karak to Lamlong bridge as Dingku Road after the boxer won a Gold medal in the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998 .

In a press conference held at their Wahengbam Leikai office, PPCM representative Ph Sakhi strongly condemned the wretched conduct of Dingku Singh.

She questioned whether Dingku's rough behavior shown to budding girl players was an answer to the honour and rousing accorded to him when he returned home after winning Gold medal in Beijing Asian Games.

Maintaining that merciless thrashing of girl players tantamount to outraging the modesty of the whole women community, Ph Sakhi even suggested to change Dingku Road to another name.

Another PPCM volunteer Y Leirikleima opined that Dingku does not possess the quality of a coach.

She not only demanded termination of Dingku's service but also urged all concerned to award life imprisonment to him.

Akoijam Ongbi Mema said that Dingku must not be released on bail but remain confined in police custody till he gets exemplary punishment.

RK Sanahanbi urged SAI authorities to conduct a departmental enquiry against Dingku.

S Memcha said that womenfolk of the State have lost all the faith from Dingku due to his senseless behavior.

Later, PPCM interacted with SAI players at Khuman Lampak sports complex regarding the incident.