By George Omagbemi Sylvester
Aziz Abdul, the grandson of former Ugandan military ruler Idi Amin, has been disqualified from the 2026 Commonwealth Games boxing competition after delivering an illegal head-butt during his super-heavyweight quarter-final bout against England’s Damar Thomas in Glasgow, Scotland.
The ending of Abdul’s medal hopes and handing Thomas victory by disqualification.
The contest was stopped in the third round after the referee ruled that Abdul had intentionally head-butted his opponent during an exchange. At the time of the stoppage, Thomas was leading 20-16 on the judges’ scorecards. The disqualification guaranteed the English boxer a place in the medal rounds while bringing Uganda’s campaign in the event to an abrupt end.
Following the decision, Abdul reacted angrily, accusing officials of bias and claiming the outcome was predetermined to favour the home-side boxer. He denied deliberately head-butting Thomas, insisting the contact was accidental and alleging racial discrimination in the officiating.
His outburst attracted widespread criticism from spectators and boxing observers.
Before the Games, Abdul had attracted international attention after publicly embracing the legacy of his grandfather, the late Idi Amin, and declaring his ambition to become the “new King of Scotland” by winning Commonwealth gold.
The latest controversy, however, has overshadowed his debut and ended his campaign in dramatic fashion, while Thomas advanced to the semi-finals in pursuit of the Commonwealth title.
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