Ugandan heavyweight boxer Aziz Abdul, the 25 year old grandson of Uganda’s dictator Idi Amin Dada, is aiming to make history as he begins his Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow, hoping to end the country’s 36-year wait for a boxing gold medal.
The 25-year-old boxer, popularly known as “Ringo,” is set to make his Commonwealth Games debut on Wednesday when he takes on England’s Damar Thomas in the men’s super-heavyweight (+90kg) contest.
A victory would see Aziz advance to the semi-finals, guaranteeing Uganda at least a bronze medal while keeping alive his dream of winning the country’s first Commonwealth boxing gold since 1990.
Aziz heads into the tournament carrying a famous family legacy. He is the grandson of former Ugandan president Idi Amin, who was once one of Uganda’s top amateur boxers and dominated the country’s light-heavyweight division between 1951 and 1960 before joining politics.
Rather than distancing himself from that history, Aziz says his grandfather’s achievements continue to motivate him.
“My grandfather’s achievements inspire me. I am a real warrior. I am the son of the sun,” Aziz said.
The confident heavyweight has waited three years for the opportunity to compete at the Commonwealth Games and says he intends to make every fight count by finishing his opponents before the judges are required.
Standing in his way is England’s rising boxing star Damar Thomas, who won the 2022 European Youth Championship, claimed the 2023 English national title, and reached the quarter-finals of the 2025 World Championships.
Uganda has produced several memorable boxing performances at the Commonwealth Games over the years, but the country’s last boxing gold medal came in 1990. Aziz Abdul now has the chance to end that long drought and carve out his own place in Uganda’s sporting history.
