Idi Amin and grandson Aziz: Striking resemblance, shared passions

The shadow of Uganda’s former President Idi Amin Dada loomed large at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, but it was the controversy inside the ring that stole the headlines.

Aziz Abdul, the 25-year-old grandson of the former president, arrived in Scotland with bold ambitions, saying: "If I win the gold medal, I will be the baddest man in the Commonwealth, the baddest man in Glasgow, and the new king of Scotland."

But his dream ended in disgrace when he was disqualified from his super-heavyweight quarter-final bout on Wednesday, July 29 for headbutting England's Damar Thomas.

Hailing from the same West Nile region as his famous grandfather, Aziz has never shied away from his family connection. Before the bout, Aziz said: "My grandfather's achievements inspired me. He was a heavyweight boxer like myself, and I am so proud of him".

Aziz Abdul never knew his grandfather, a man widely regarded as a military dictator who died in exile when Aziz was a toddler.

But the parallels between grandfather and grandson are striking. Idi Amin himself was a formidable boxer, holding Uganda's light-heavyweight title for nine years and once staging a knockout in a suit jacket and tie after becoming president.

The title "Last King of Scotland" is a grandiose nickname Idi Amin bestowed upon himself. It was partly born of his peculiar affinity for Scotland—Amin, who rose through the British colonial army under Scottish officers, developed a love for all things Scottish and sometimes wore kilts, the traditional knee-length tartan skirts worn by Scottish men, in public.

The nickname became widely known through the 2006 Oscar-winning film of the same name, which dramatized Amin's brutal reign through the eyes of a fictional Scottish doctor.
Idi Amin ruled Uganda from 1971 until his overthrow in 1979, during which an estimated 300,000 people were killed.

At the recent Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Aziz arrived waving a Scottish flag. Later, in an interview, he said, “I like Scotland so much,” echoing the fondness his grandfather once expressed for the country.

But Aziz Abdul’s fight against England's Damar Thomas proved tempestuous from the start. He was disqualified midway through the final round when he flicked up his head to butt Thomas on the chin, drawing boos from the crowd.

After the bout, Aziz told reporters that the referee’s decision was "not right" and alleged racial bias, claiming, many English boxers "create a lot of fouls," without being penalized. But Commonwealth Sport President Donald Rukare, who is Ugandan himself, dismissed the claims, stating: "We at Commonwealth Sport believe that every athlete is treated fairly in a non-discriminatory manner... It was a field of play decision".

The disqualification ended Uganda's hopes of a first Commonwealth boxing medal since 1990.

England’s Damar Thomas, now guaranteed at least a bronze medal, said it was "not the way" he wanted to win.

As for Aziz, the disqualification leaves his future in the sport uncertain—for now, the self-proclaimed "new king of Scotland" has been dethroned before his crown could even be fitted.