Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, was disqualified from his Commonwealth Games debut for head-butting his English opponent, Damar Thomas, in the third round. The 25-year-old super-heavyweight then launched a verbal attack on the referee, claiming the decision was unfair.
Disqualification and Controversy
Abdul, who also goes by the name Aziz Ringo, was trailing 20-16 on the scorecards when he delivered a 'Glasgow kiss' to Thomas, a 21-year-old from Kilburn. The referee immediately disqualified him. After the fight, Abdul complained about the officiating, saying, 'There were a lot of fouls. 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.'
Abdul's Defense and Criticism
Abdul insisted the head-butt was not intentional, claiming Thomas had elbowed him. 'He got me with the elbow. It was not intentional because I was trying to come back. How can I head-butt someone? I would not head-butt someone,' he said. He also criticized the referee for counting a knockdown in the first round, stating, 'He took a light punch and they counted. 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.'
Thomas's Reaction
Thomas, who now secures a medal, described the fight as wild. 'I got the job done, not how I wanted to, but the job is done. He was running at me with his head. There was a bit of ring rust from me but it is what it is,' he said.
Background on Idi Amin
Idi Amin, who came to power in a coup in 1971, is estimated to have killed half a million people and forced the expulsion of 80,000 people of Asian descent. Despite this, Abdul expressed pride in his grandfather, saying his achievements 'had inspired me' and 'I am so proud of him.' He also promised to be 'the new king of Scotland,' referencing Amin's offer to liberate the Scots from England.
