Idi Amin’s Grandson Targets Commonwealth Games Boxing Medal

Twenty-five-year-old Ugandan super-heavyweight boxer Aziz Abdul has stepped into the international spotlight at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, aiming to win Uganda’s first boxing medal at the Games in over thirty years.

Competing under the ring nickname “Ringo,” Abdul faces England’s Damar Thomas in a +90kg quarter-final match. A victory in the bout guarantees Abdul at least a bronze medal, which would end a long podium drought for Uganda’s national boxing squad, known as the Bombers, who last brought home a Commonwealth boxing gold in 1990.

The matchup has drawn international media attention because of Abdul’s family history. He is the grandson of former Ugandan military ruler Idi Amin Dada, who seized power in a 1971 coup and ruled until 1979. Before entering politics, Amin was an accomplished athlete who held Uganda’s national light-heavyweight boxing title for nine consecutive years between 1951 and 1960.

While Amin’s regime is remembered globally for widespread human rights abuses, economic destruction, and the deaths of an estimated 300,000 to 500,000 people, Abdul openly speaks about his grandfather’s ring career as a major personal motivation. The 25-year-old explained that seeing photos and hearing stories of Amin’s physical strength inspired him to pick up gloves and train as a heavyweight.

Abdul has also embraced the setting of this year’s tournament. In 1976, during his presidency, Amin famously gave himself the eccentric title “King of Scotland” because of his fascination with Scottish culture. Speaking to reporters in Glasgow before his opening fight, Abdul joked that if he wins the super-heavyweight gold medal, he will claim the title of the “new King of Scotland” for himself.

Beyond his family background, Abdul enters the ring with solid athletic credentials, having previously won gold at the Africa Zone 3 Boxing Championships. Training out of Kampala, he cites former world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson as his main fighting idol and says he is determined to make a name for himself through his performance inside the ring.