The 2024 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow draws over 3,000 elite athletes from across the globe, all chasing national pride and international recognition. For most, their family histories remain private, overshadowed by their athletic ambitions. But for 25-year-old Ugandan super-heavyweight boxer Aziz Abdul, competing under the shadow of an infamous family legacy has defined his journey to the quarterfinals.
Abdul never met his grandfather, a man whose name is synonymous with one of the 20th century’s most brutal authoritarian regimes: Idi Amin, the former military dictator of Uganda who ruled from 1971 to 1979 after seizing power in a coup. Widely known as “The Butcher of Uganda,” Amin’s eight-year regime is estimated to have killed up to 500,000 political opponents, civilians and ethnic minorities, and he infamously expelled the entire South Asian population of Uganda during his rule. A polygamous man with six documented marriages and at least 60 acknowledged children, Amin died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003, when Abdul was still a toddler, never facing trial for the widespread human rights abuses that occurred under his leadership.
Beyond his brutal rule, Amin carried a well-documented fascination with Scotland. As a young man serving in the King’s African Rifles, he developed a love for Scottish cultural traditions, often wearing a kilt, playing bagpipes during his time in power, and even infamously declared himself the “King of Scotland” in a 1976 stunt. This eccentric chapter of his life inspired the 2006 Oscar-winning drama *The Last King of Scotland*, which cemented the connection between the dictator and Scotland in popular culture. That makes Abdul’s run for a medal in Glasgow all the more extraordinary.
Amin was no stranger to boxing himself: he held Uganda’s national light-heavyweight title for nine consecutive years starting in 1951, with a controversial legacy even in the sport. After losing an early match, he reportedly ordered a rematch once he seized power, and staged a knockout victory while wearing a full suit and tie. Abdul has previously stated that he draws inspiration from his grandfather’s boxing career, though he has declined to elaborate on whether his admiration extends beyond the ring. When asked if he feels pride in being the grandson of a man with such a sinister reputation, Abdul offered a measured response, avoiding public judgment of a man he never knew.
“Sometimes people say positive things about him, but others say negative things about him,” he told BBC Sport Scotland. “That’s why I don’t want to talk more about him. It’s not good to say something negative about someone who is not here, and it’s not right to pass judgment on events that happened long before I was born.”
Abdul, who fights under the nickname “Ringo,” will take on England’s Damar Thomas in the 90+kg quarterfinals on Wednesday. A win would guarantee him at least a bronze medal, marking Uganda’s first Commonwealth Games boxing medal since the 1990 Auckland games. When asked what a gold medal win in Glasgow would mean, Abdul leaned into the quirky history of his grandfather’s connection to the country, joking “I might be the new King of Scotland. It’s possible. When I arrived, I put up the [Ugandan] flag, because I like Scotland so much.”
Unlike his grandfather, who left Uganda with a tarnished global reputation, Abdul says his only goal is to build his own identity, carry pride for his country, and bring home Uganda’s first medal of this year’s games. “Our first medal will be won tomorrow. No excuse,” he said. “That’s why I’m here. I have that dream that I’m gonna go back with a gold medal. I want to do something for my country. I think tomorrow is the day for them to recognize me, and for the world to recognize me. I want to be known as Ringo the boxer.” He carries confidence in his signature “Ringo punch,” which he believes is strong enough to overpower his opponents and carry him to the top of the podium.