Aziz Abdul, Ugandan boxer and grandson of the country’s former dictator, Idi Amin, was disqualified from his fight at the Commonwealth Games after appearing to headbutt his opponent from England, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on Thursday, July 30.
The 25-year-old was punished after lifting his head into Damar Thomas’ chin as the pair grappled in the third round of the boxing competition.
Abdul later claimed the judges were against him because he is a “black African.”
“When you watch the previous fights of England their boxers create a lot of fouls,” he said.
“I landed a heavy punch on him, they never counted. Instead of counting, they deducted my points. I am black African. He is in homeland,” he said.
Before the super-heavyweight bout, Abdul told the BBC he wanted to become the new ‘King of Scotland’ – in reference to Idi Amin declaring himself that name in 1976.
After taking power in a coup in 1971, Idi Amin ran a brutal regime during which an estimated half a million people were killed. He was also known as the Butcher of Uganda.
Abdul, who never met his grandfather, was chasing Uganda’s first Commonwealth boxing medal since Auckland in 1990 – something which would have been guaranteed had he beaten Thomas.
Instead, he was given warnings in the previous two rounds and was trailing on all of the judges’ scorecards.
“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.
“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.”
Thomas, who is now guaranteed at least a bronze medal, said it was “not the way” he wanted to win.
“I can’t change what happened today but I can control how I box on Friday,” he said.
