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Idi Amin’s grandson eyes Commonwealth boxing glory
29th July, 2026 07:43 PM
Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul is carrying more than medal ambitions into the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The 25-year-old super-heavyweight is also the grandson of former Ugandan ruler Idi Amin, one of Africa’s most infamous leaders, although Abdul says he prefers to be judged for his own achievements inside the ring.
Abdul never knew his grandfather personally. Amin, who seized power through a military coup in 1971, governed Uganda for eight years under a regime widely condemned for widespread human rights abuses. Historians estimate that hundreds of thousands of people died during his rule, while the country’s Asian community was expelled. Amin died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003, when Abdul was still a young child.
Now competing among thousands of athletes at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland, Abdul is hoping to make history for Uganda rather than be defined by his family background.
The boxer faces England’s Damar Thomas in Wednesday’s, July 29, 2026 quarter-final of the men’s 90kg+ division. A victory would not only move him closer to the title but would also guarantee Uganda its first Commonwealth boxing medal since the 1990 Games in Auckland.
The Glasgow setting carries special significance because Amin had an unusual admiration for Scotland. After serving with the King’s African Rifles in his younger years, he became known for wearing kilts, playing the bagpipes and, in 1976, famously declaring himself “King of Scotland.” That eccentric claim later inspired the Oscar-winning film The Last King of Scotland starring Forest Whitaker and James McAvoy.
Speaking to BBC, Abdul, who is nicknamed “Ringo,” weighed in on the fight.
“In everything we do, God knows tomorrow,” he said. “It’s God’s plan. I might be the new King of Scotland. It’s possible.”
He added: “When I arrived, I put up the flag, ’cause I like Scotland so much.”
While Amin was notorious as a political leader, he also enjoyed success in boxing, holding Uganda’s light-heavyweight championship for nine years beginning in 1951. However, his sporting career was also surrounded by controversy, with reports claiming he later ordered a rematch after one defeat and staged the outcome while already in power.
Abdul has previously spoken of being “inspired” by his grandfather, although he has never clearly explained whether he was referring solely to his boxing accomplishments. Asked again about being connected to Amin’s legacy, he chose not to discuss it in depth.
“Sometimes people say positive about him, but others say negative about him,” he explained. “That’s why I don’t want to talk more about him.”
He continued: “It’s not good to say something negative about someone who is not there, and it’s not good to say something about someone negative who was not there by the time when the incident happened, if it happened.”
Amin’s prosecution
Human rights organisations have long criticised the fact that Amin was never prosecuted for the alleged crimes committed during his presidency before his death.
Abdul insists his own story is different. Raised in Kampala, he hopes his boxing success can give Uganda something positive to celebrate.
The heavyweight believes his trademark “Ringo punch” can carry him all the way to the top of the podium and replace the gold chain around his neck with a Commonwealth gold medal.
“Our first medal will be won tomorrow. No excuse,” he declared. “That’s why I’m here. I have that dream that I’m gonna go back with gold medal. That’s the reason I’m here in Glasgow right now.”
He added: “I want to do something for my country. I think the day is tomorrow for them to recognise me and for the world to recognise me. I want to be known as the Ringo the boxer.”
