Dictator's grandson disqualified after headbutting opponent, responds with accusations

Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul, grandson of the dictator Idi Amin, was disqualified from his bout at the Commonwealth Games after he was seen headbutting his English opponent. The 25-year-old athlete was penalized after he drove his head into the chin of Damar Thomas while the two were grappling in the third round. Abdul later claimed that the judges were against him because he is a "black African."

Idi Amin was the ruler of Uganda who began his path as a close ally of Israel, but shifted his position to extreme hostility, which culminated in the management of the hostage crisis during Operation Entebbe (1976).

"When you look at England's previous fights, their boxers commit a lot of fouls, — Aziz said after the loss. — I hit him with a strong punch, and they never count it. Instead of counting it, they take points away from me. I am a black African, and he is at home."

Before the heavyweight fight, Abdul said he wanted to become the new "King of Scotland," alluding to Amin's declaration of himself by that title in 1976. After seizing power in a 1971 coup, Amin ran a brutal regime in which an estimated half a million people were murdered. He was also known by the nickname "the Butcher of Uganda."

Abdul, who never met his grandfather, was trying to secure Uganda's first boxing medal at the Commonwealth Games since Auckland 1990. Instead, he received warnings in the two previous rounds and was trailing on all the judges' scorecards.

"All I can say about it is that the decision is not correct, I am not happy, — he said. — He sent an elbow at me. That (the head movement) was not intentional. I was trying to get back into the fight. How can I headbutt someone? I wouldn't do that. He was the person they wanted to win. I knew that if I didn't get a knockout, I couldn't win the fight."

Amin, who was a boxer himself, cultivated a special fascination for Scotland after serving in the King's African Rifles in his 20s. At the height of his regime, he used to wear a kilt and play the bagpipes. Years later, this tendency gave rise to the Oscar-winning film, "The Last King of Scotland," starring Forest Whitaker. Aziz refused to answer when asked if he was proud to be the grandson of the dictator, but stated that he was "inspired" by Amin, though it was unclear if he meant his boxing achievements or otherwise.