Commonwealth Sport chiefs have dismissed claims of corruption and racism made by Idi Amin's grandson, Aziz Abdul, after he was disqualified for a head-butt in the super-heavyweight boxing quarter-finals. Abdul, representing Uganda, was penalized by Argentinian referee Manuel Vilarino during his bout against England's Damar Thomas.
Abdul's disqualification and reaction
Abdul was docked a point for a standing count in the first round, another for repeatedly punching on the break, and ultimately disqualified for a blatant head-butt. He vehemently disagreed with the decisions, stating, "Of course it's unfair. When you watch the previous fights of England, their boxers play a lot of bullshit. They cannot judge them wrong. I took a light punch and they counted. I landed a heavy punch on him and they deducted my points and warned me." He added, "I'm a black African, I know. It's God's plan."
Commonwealth Sport president's response
Dr Donald Rukare, president of Commonwealth Sport and also from Uganda, contradicted Abdul's claims. "We at Commonwealth Sport believe that every athlete is treated fairly in a non discriminatory manner," he said. "We are inclusive. I think that was probably something said in the heat of the moment." Rukare emphasized the organization's good relationship with World Boxing and confirmed that athletes are treated fairly. He noted that African nations have secured eight boxing medals at the Games, including two from Lesotho, two from Ghana, three from Namibia, and one from Zambia, marking one of the continent's best returns.
Defence of TNT Sports coverage
Katie Sadleir, chief executive of Commonwealth Games, defended TNT Sports' coverage of Glasgow 2026 amid social media criticism over the switch from the BBC. Despite reports that TNT attracts daytime peaks of just 120,000 viewers, compared to the BBC's five million for Birmingham 2022, Sadleir expressed pride in the partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT. "TNT has been a fantastic partner in terms of ensuring every single athlete has coverage," she said. "To pay £4.99 to get 600 hours of television coverage, I think that's a fantastic first step." She also expressed hope that the BBC would bid for the 2030 Amedabad Games.
