Commonwealth Games chief Donald Rukare has rejected Ugandan boxer Aziz Abdul’s racism claim following his disqualification from a super-heavyweight bout on Wednesday.
Abdul, the grandson of Uganda’s late dictator Idi Amin, was thrown out of his fight against England’s Damar Thomas in the third and final round for a headbutt. He immediately alleged discrimination based on his nationality.
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“Of course it’s unfair,” Aziz stated. “When you watch the previous fights of England, their boxers create a lot of fouls and they play a lot of bull****. I am a black African, I know. I don’t why the officials are scared about this fight.”
Rukare, who is also Ugandan and heads Commonwealth Sport, dismissed his compatriot’s accusations.
“We at Commonwealth Sport believe that every athlete is treated fairly in a non discriminatory manner,” Rukare said. “It was a field of play decision and I think that was probably something said in the heat of the moment. As far as we’re concerned, we have a good relationship with World Boxing, and the athletes are treated fairly.”
Aziz Abdul is the grandson of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)
Rukare added: “I don’t represent Uganda here, but I’m sure that the matter will be handled appropriately in terms of our colleague’s conduct, through the channels that we have.”
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The dramatic contest at the Scottish Exhibition Centre saw Abdul, noticeably shorter than his English opponent, receive a standing count in the first round. He was then penalised in the second for punching out of a clinch before the decisive headbutt on Thomas’s chin led to his disqualification in the third.
Abdul had drawn considerable attention prior to the competition due to his lineage as the grandson of Idi Amin, the brutal tyrant estimated to have been responsible for the deaths or deportation of up to half a million Ugandans during his eight-year rule.
In the build-up, Abdul had referenced one of his grandfather’s infamous sayings, noting that to reach the semi-finals, he would need to emulate Amin’s advice: “The only way to defeat an enemy who is against the country is to win by knockout”.
World Boxing, the federation provisionally recognised by the International Olympic Committee in February 2025 and responsible for organising the Glasgow competition, declined to comment on the incident.
Meanwhile, African nations have already secured eight boxing medals at the Glasgow Games, with three for Namibia, two each for Zambia and Lesotho, and one for Ghana.
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