Idi Amin's Grandson Disqualified from African Boxing Final After Illegal Blow
Idi Amin's grandson, boxer Aziz Abdul, was disqualified from the African Boxing Championship final in Nairobi after punching Egypt's Mohamed Hossen post-bout, losing his silver medal.
Nearly 50 years after Operation Entebbe, the name of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin has returned to sports headlines under extraordinary circumstances. His 25-year-old grandson, boxer Aziz Abdul known as "Ringo," was disqualified from the final of the African Boxing Championship held in Nairobi, Kenya, after striking Egyptian opponent Mohamed Hossen in the back of the head after the bout had already ended. The Ugandan boxer also lost his silver medal, marking the second violent incident he has been involved in recent months.
The incident occurred in the 90kg weight class final. When the bell rang to signal the end of the bout, Abdul walked away from his opponent, but then turned back and delivered a punch to the back of Hossen, who had already turned his back. The Egyptian boxer fell to the canvas, and his coaching staff reacted with fury. The judges immediately disqualified Abdul and declared Hossen the winner, while the Ugandan had already left the ring.
Last July, Abdul was involved in a similar incident at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he was disqualified in his opening bout after headbutting English opponent Damar Thomas. Following that disqualification, he accused the organizers of racism and discrimination against Africans. Before that match, he even declared his intention to become the "new king of Scotland," a moniker his grandfather frequently used.
Idi Amin, who ruled Uganda from 1971 to 1979, is remembered in Israel primarily for his role in the 1976 Air France hijacking to Entebbe. Amin provided support to the Palestinian and German hijackers and allowed the hostages to be held at the Ugandan airport with the assistance of local troops. On July 4, IDF carried out Operation Entebbe to rescue the hostages, during which the commander of Sayeret Matkal, Yoni Netanyahu, was killed. The operation was later renamed Operation Yonatan in his honor.
Amin's regime is considered one of the darkest periods in Ugandan history, during which hundreds of thousands of people were murdered and the Asian-origin population was expelled. Amin was ousted in 1979 and went into exile. Now, his grandson is drawing attention for entirely different reasons after once again losing control in the boxing ring.
