Idi Amin's boxer grandson determined to become new King of Scotland

What the report says

BBC Sport Scotland reports that Aziz Abdul, a 25-year-old Ugandan super-heavyweight boxer and grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, is competing at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with the aim of being known for his own sporting achievement. Abdul is due to face England’s Damar Thomas in the 90kg-plus quarter-finals on Wednesday; a win would secure at least a bronze medal and, according to the BBC, would make him Uganda’s first Commonwealth boxing medallist since 1990.

The BBC frames Abdul’s Glasgow appearance against the complicated legacy of Amin, who seized power in Uganda in 1971 and ruled for eight years. Amin’s regime was associated with mass killings, imprisonment and torture, and the expulsion of Uganda’s Asian population. He died in exile in Saudi Arabia in 2003 without standing trial over alleged crimes. Abdul, who was a toddler when Amin died and says he never met him, declined to say whether he was proud to be his grandson and said he did not want to dwell on comments about Amin.

The Scotland setting adds historical resonance because Amin had a well-known fascination with the country, including wearing kilts, playing bagpipes and declaring himself “King of Scotland” in 1976. Abdul told the BBC that becoming a new “King of Scotland” through boxing was possible if it was God’s plan.

Abdul, nicknamed Ringo, said he wants recognition from Uganda and the wider world as a boxer rather than primarily through his family name. He told the BBC he came to Glasgow seeking gold and believes his punching power can carry him to a medal.