Commonwealth Sport Rejects Racism Claims After Ugandan Boxer Aziz Abdul Disqualified

KAMPALA — Commonwealth Sport has rejected claims by Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, that racism contributed to his disqualification from the Commonwealth Games.

Abdul, 25, was disqualified from his super-heavyweight bout against England’s Damar Thomas after officials ruled that he had headbutted his opponent during a third-round exchange.

The Ugandan boxer disputed the decision and alleged that officials had treated him unfairly because he is a Black African.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the bout, Abdul accused the judges of favouring the English boxer and claimed that punches he landed were not properly scored.

“I am black African. He is in homeland,” Abdul said, while also using a racial slur when referring to Thomas.

Commonwealth Sport Rejects Racism Allegations

Commonwealth Sport president Donald Rukare, who is also Ugandan, rejected the suggestion that Abdul had been discriminated against.

“We at Commonwealth Sport believe every athlete is treated fairly and in a non-discriminatory manner,” Rukare said.

He described the disqualification as a field-of-play decision and said Abdul’s comments appeared to have been made in the heat of the moment.

“We are inclusive. That is a field-of-play decision and that is something that was said in the heat of the moment,” Rukare added.

Rukare also indicated that Abdul could face disciplinary action from the Ugandan delegation over his conduct.

“We have a team manager and chef de mission and I am sure the appropriate channels will be followed,” he said.

“We have a code of conduct. I don’t represent Uganda here. I am sure that matter will be handled appropriately with our own code of conduct.”

Abdul Disputes Headbutt Decision

Abdul insisted that the contact with Thomas was not intentional and argued that he had been trying to recover during the fight.

“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.”

Abdul also claimed he believed he needed a knockout to overcome what he regarded as unfavourable judging.

“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,” he said.

The boxer had already received warnings in the first two rounds and was trailing on the judges’ scorecards before the third-round disqualification.

Thomas Advances to Guaranteed Commonwealth Medal

The result means England’s Damar Thomas is guaranteed at least a bronze medal.

Thomas said the outcome was not the way he wanted to secure his place in the medal standings.

“I can’t change what happened today but I can control how I box on Friday,” he said.

Abdul had been attempting to win Uganda’s first Commonwealth boxing medal since the 1990 Games in Auckland. A victory over Thomas would have guaranteed him a medal.

Abdul’s Link to Idi Amin

The boxer has attracted considerable attention because he is the grandson of former Ugandan president Idi Amin, who ruled Uganda after seizing power in a military coup in 1971.

Amin’s regime was marked by widespread human rights abuses, with estimates suggesting that hundreds of thousands of people were killed during his rule. He became internationally known as one of Africa’s most brutal dictators.

Abdul, who has said he never met his grandfather, previously told the BBC that he wanted to become the new “King of Scotland”, a reference to Amin’s controversial self-proclamation as “King of Scotland” in 1976.

Amin had developed an unusual fascination with Scotland after serving in the King’s African Rifles during his younger years. He was known for wearing a kilt and playing the bagpipes.

His interest in Scotland later became part of the inspiration for the Oscar-winning film The Last King of Scotland, starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy.

In an earlier interview, Abdul said he was inspired by Amin, although he did not clearly specify whether he was referring to his grandfather’s boxing background or other aspects of his life.

Asked whether he was proud to be Idi Amin’s grandson, Abdul declined to answer directly. He has, however, acknowledged the difficulty of being associated with a historical figure whose regime has such a controversial and violent legacy.

Disqualification Overshadows Abdul’s Commonwealth Campaign

Abdul’s elimination has ended his hopes of securing Uganda’s first Commonwealth boxing medal in more than three decades.

The controversy surrounding his disqualification is now likely to attract further attention, particularly following his allegations of racial bias and Commonwealth Sport’s rejection of those claims.

The Ugandan delegation is also expected to consider whether Abdul’s comments breached its code of conduct.