Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul disqualified at Commonwealth Games for headbutt
Consensus Summary
Aziz Abdul, a 25-year-old Ugandan boxer and grandson of the late dictator Idi Amin, was disqualified during the third round of his Commonwealth Games fight against Damar Thomas for headbutting his opponent. The incident occurred at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where Abdul had previously courted media attention by declaring himself inspired by his grandfather’s legacy and aiming to become the 'baddest man in the Commonwealth'. The fight lasted less than 10 minutes before Abdul’s disqualification, sparking a heated post-fight interview where he accused officials of bias, pointed a bandaged fist at a reporter, and vowed revenge in the future. Both sources agree on the disqualification, Abdul’s aggressive behavior, and his claims of unfair treatment, though they differ slightly on details like the duration of Amin’s rule and the exact circumstances of the headbutt. Abdul’s outburst included references to his grandfather’s controversial legacy, with human rights groups cited in the SMH estimating up to 500,000 deaths during Amin’s eight-year rule, while the Guardian notes his expulsion of 80,000 people of Asian descent after a 1971 coup.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Aziz Abdul, a 25-year-old boxer and grandson of Idi Amin, was disqualified in the third round of his fight at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games for headbutting Damar Thomas.
- Abdul claimed he would get revenge on Thomas 'after five years or two years or 10 years' and called himself 'a real warrior'.
- Abdul referenced his grandfather Idi Amin, who ruled Uganda for eight years and was forced out in 1979.
- Abdul pointed a bandaged fist at a reporter and said 'You I don’t like' during a post-fight interview.
- The fight lasted less than 10 minutes before Abdul’s disqualification.
- Abdul claimed the referee’s decision was unfair and accused officials of favoring Thomas because he was on 'home soil'.
- Abdul mentioned his opponent Damar Thomas is a 21-year-old English boxer.
- Abdul said he was inspired by his grandfather’s 'achievements' and wanted to be 'the baddest man in the Commonwealth'.
- Abdul was penalized for multiple fouls, including holding and elbowing, during the fight.
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Abdul proclaimed himself 'the king of Scotland' before the fight.
- Human rights groups say as many as 500,000 people were killed during Idi Amin’s rule, and the country’s Asian population was expelled.
- Abdul’s disqualification came during the third round after wrapping his gloves around Thomas’ head and lifting it into his chin.
- Abdul referred to Thomas using the n-word during the post-fight interview.
- Abdul said he had landed heavy punches on Thomas that were not counted, while Thomas’s punches were counted.
- Abdul’s fight was part of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, with coverage including live blogs from 6pm AEST daily and updates every Monday.
- Abdul’s disqualification prompted boos and jeers from his supporters, with some leaving and others shouting angrily.
- Abdul refused to speak to a journalist because of what they wrote about Idi Amin, saying 'No, not you. I don’t like you.'
- A Ugandan team official clarified Abdul’s refusal was due to the journalist’s comments about Amin.
- Abdul claimed he was 20-16 down on the scorecards before the disqualification.
- Abdul said he wanted to win by knockout and that next time he would end the fight in the first minute.
- Abdul insisted the headbutt was not intentional, saying Thomas elbowed him first.
- Abdul mentioned Idi Amin came to power in a coup d’état in 1971 and expelled 80,000 people of Asian descent.
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- The SMH states Idi Amin ruled Uganda for eight years, while the Guardian does not specify a duration but mentions he came to power in 1971.
- The SMH says Amin was never tried for his crimes in an international court, while the Guardian does not mention this detail.
- The SMH says Amin died in Saudi Arabia in 2003, while the Guardian does not provide a death date.
- The SMH mentions Abdul’s opponent is English, while the Guardian specifies Thomas is from Kilburn, England.
- The SMH says Abdul’s disqualification was during the third round after wrapping his gloves around Thomas’ head, while the Guardian describes it as a 'Glasgow kiss' but does not specify the exact moment.
Source Articles
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