Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan president Idi Amin, was disqualified during his opening super-heavyweight bout at the Commonwealth Games after receiving a third foul for a headbutt against England’s Damar Thomas.
The 25-year-old was thrown out midway through the third and final round after accumulating three penalties, ending his hopes of progressing in the tournament.
Headbutt Ends Aziz Abdul’s Commonwealth Games Campaign
Aziz entered the contest determined to make a statement, having declared before the tournament that he wanted to become the “new king of Scotland”—a reference to his grandfather’s self-proclaimed title.
However, the fight took a dramatic turn as officials penalised the Ugandan boxer multiple times for fouls. His final warning came after he appeared to headbutt Thomas on the chin, prompting the referee to disqualify him.
The decision drew boos from sections of the crowd at the Scottish Exhibition Centre.
Aziz Abdul Claims Bias After Defeat
Following the bout, Aziz strongly criticised the referee and accused officials of favouring the home boxer.
“There were a lot of fouls,” he said.
He also alleged unfair treatment, claiming England’s boxer committed similar offences without punishment and suggested the officiating was biased.
Aziz vowed to seek revenge in a future meeting, insisting he would prove himself against Thomas.
Commonwealth Sport Rejects Racism Allegations
Commonwealth Games chief Donald Rukare rejected Aziz’s claims of discrimination, saying the organisation is committed to treating every athlete fairly.
Rukare described the comments as being made in the heat of the moment and maintained that the referee’s ruling was a field-of-play decision.
He added that Commonwealth Sport has confidence in World Boxing’s officiating standards and believes athletes compete under non-discriminatory conditions.
Inspired by Idi Amin’s Legacy
Ahead of the contest, Aziz referenced one of Idi Amin’s well-known statements about winning by knockout and embraced comparisons to his grandfather, who was an accomplished boxer before becoming Uganda’s president in 1971.
Idi Amin later became one of Africa’s most controversial leaders, ruling Uganda for eight years before being overthrown and exiled. His regime has been linked to widespread human rights abuses and the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people.
He famously declared himself the “King of Scotland” in 1976, a title that later inspired the award-winning film The Last King of Scotland.
Tough Night Against Damar Thomas
Despite an aggressive start, Aziz struggled against the taller Thomas, a former youth world champion.
Thomas earned a standing count in the opening round and controlled much of the contest with his superior reach.
Aziz was repeatedly warned for illegal actions, including striking after clinches, before the decisive headbutt led to his disqualification and an early exit from the competition.