RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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England super-heavyweight Damar Thomas must overcome the grandson of Idi Amin, the former Ugandan dictator and self-proclaimed “King of Scotland”, if he is to progress into the medal rounds of Commonwealth Games boxing competition in Glasgow on Wednesday.
Aziz Abdul, known as ‘Ringo’, is not shy of his family connection to Amin, a brutal military dictator who seized power in 1971, killing up to 500,000 people and expelling Uganda’s entire Asian population before he was deposed and sent into exile eight years later.
Amin was an accomplished boxer who held the Ugandan light-heavyweight title for nine consecutive years from 1951 to 1960. Having lost a bout to rival Peter Sseruwagi in 1958, he orchestrated a rematch after becoming president, delivering a staged knockout of his opponent while still wearing his suit jacket and tie.
“My grandfather’s achievements inspired me,” 25-year-old Aziz said. “He was a heavyweight boxer like myself, and I am so proud of him.
“Lions give back to lions. A lion cannot give back to a dog or a camel. A lion must resemble a lion. It is what it is. I am a real warrior. I am the son of the son.”
Amin proclaimed himself king of Scotland in 1976, having developed a fascination with the country during his time serving in the King’s African Rifles regiment in his twenties. His remark inspired an Oscar-winning film, The Last King Of Scotland, starring the Glasgow-born actor James McAvoy.
Aziz hails from the same remote West Nile region as his grandfather, who died in 2003, and displays the same bullish confidence despite a daunting draw. Thomas, a 21-year-old European youth champion, is aiming to become the fourth consecutive English winner of the +90kg title.
Aziz says he will rely on his mysterious ‘Ringo Punch’ to get the job done before the judges get the chance to intervene, making good on the advice of Amin, who once famously advised that “the only way to defeat an enemy who is against the country is to win by knockout”.
“I am very happy to be fighting the English fighter,” added Aziz. “I have waited for this moment for three years. But now we are not in Africa, we are in Europe. As my grandpa used to say, you need to win by knockout, so that’s what we have trained for and that’s what I hope to do.
“I know the British heavyweights Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, but my idol is Mike Tyson: the baddest man on the planet. If I win the gold medal, I will be the baddest man in the Commonwealth, the baddest man in Glasgow, and the new king of Scotland.”
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