Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, was disqualified from his Commonwealth Games debut in the super-heavyweight boxing category after head-butting his English opponent Damar Thomas in the third round. The 25-year-old Ugandan, who also goes by the ring name Aziz Ringo, launched a bitter verbal assault on the referee following the decision.
Disqualification and Controversy
Abdul was disqualified after planting a 'Glasgow kiss' on Thomas when he was trailing 20-16 on the scorecards. After the fight, he complained that the decision was unfair. “There were a lot of fouls,” he said. “Holding, elbowing, a lot of bullshit. The officials cannot judge them. When other countries do this they are disqualified. All I can say about this is the referee’s decision is not right and I am not happy.”
He also criticized the referee for ruling that he had been knocked down in the first round. “He took a light punch and they counted,” he said. “I landed a heavy punch on him and they deducted my points and warned me. I’m a black African, I know. It’s God’s plan. I don’t know why the officials are scared about this fight. Why can’t they let this fight continue?”
Comments on Grandfather
Things took an unusual turn when Abdul refused to speak to a journalist from the Press Association, saying “No, not you... I don’t like you.” A Ugandan team official clarified: “It is because of the things you said about his grandad.” Amin is estimated to have killed half a million people in Uganda after coming to power in a 1971 coup and forced the expulsion of 80,000 people of Asian descent.
Despite this, Abdul had insisted before the fight that his grandfather’s achievements “had inspired me” and “I am so proud of him”. He also promised he would be “the new king of Scotland” – after his grandfather had once offered to liberate the Scots from England.
Fight and Aftermath
Abdul insisted he had not deliberately head-butted Thomas. “He got me with the elbow,” he said. “It was not intentional because I was trying to come back. How can I head-butt someone? I would not head-butt someone.” He added: “Next time, I will get him. Anytime in the future. Two years, five years, 10 years. I will show him that Aziz Ringo is a real warrior. It’s so painful.”
Thomas, meanwhile, is now guaranteed a medal after the wild fight. “I got the job done, not how I wanted to, but the job is done,” he said. “He was running at me with his head. There was a bit of ring rust from me but it is what it is.”
