Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, has been disqualified from the boxing tournament at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow for a headbutt on his English opponent, Damar Thomas.
The 25-year-old, competing in the third round of the men’s super-heavyweight (90+kg) division, was thrown out of the contest after appearing to thrust his head into Thomas during their bout. The decision means Thomas is now guaranteed at least a bronze medal.
Abdul reacted angrily to the ruling, alleging bias from the officials and suggesting he had been judged unfairly because of his race and the location of the Games.
“When you watch the previous fights of England, their boxers create a lot of fouls,” he said afterwards. “I land a heavy punch on him, they never count. Instead of counting they deduct me. I am black African. He is in homeland.”
The 2026 Commonwealth Games are being held in Glasgow, Scotland one of the four nations that make up the United Kingdom.
Abdul insisted the head movement that led to his disqualification was accidental and argued that Thomas had been the one using illegal tactics.
“All I can say about this is the decision is not right, I am not happy,” he said. “He elbowed me. He caught me with the elbow.
“It [the head movement] was not intentional. I was trying to come back. How can I headbutt someone? I would not.
“He was the person they wanted to win. He was the winner before. I knew if I did not get knockout, I could not win the fight.”
Pre-fight statements and historical backdrop
Before stepping into the ring for the super-heavyweight contest, Abdul had told the BBC he wanted to become the new “King of Scotland” – a pointed reference to Idi Amin, who styled himself with that title in 1976.
Amin seized power in Uganda in a military coup in 1971 and ruled through a notoriously brutal regime during which an estimated half a million people were killed. His record earned him the nickname “the Butcher of Uganda”.
Abdul has said he never met his grandfather, but his appearance in Glasgow drew attention because of the family link and his pre-fight remarks.
The Ugandan boxer had been aiming to secure his country’s first Commonwealth Games boxing medal since Auckland in 1990. Victory over Thomas would have guaranteed him at least bronze.
Thomas advances but frustrated by circumstances
Thomas, who progresses in the tournament and is assured of a place on the podium, made clear he was uncomfortable with how the bout had ended.
He described the circumstances as “not the way” he wanted to go through and turn his attention to his next contest.
“I can’t change what happened today but I can control how I box on Friday,” Thomas said, looking ahead to his semi-final.
