Head-butt brings quarter-final to a sudden end
Ugandan super-heavyweight Aziz Abdul saw his Commonwealth Games campaign end in dramatic fashion when he was disqualified from his quarter-final against England’s Damar Thomas. The 25-year-old, a grandson of former Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, was removed midway through the third and final round after referee Manuel Vilarino ruled that he had deliberately head-butted Thomas on the chin.
Abdul had already endured a difficult opening round, receiving a standing count after being caught by Thomas and losing the round 10-8 on all three scorecards. The count affected the scoring but was not a disciplinary point deduction. Abdul was then formally docked a point in the second round for repeatedly punching Thomas as the pair separated from a clinch.
“Of course it’s unfair”
Abdul reacted furiously after the contest and insisted that the officials had treated him differently from England’s boxers. He questioned the standing count, disputed the point deduction and claimed Thomas had been allowed to commit fouls without receiving the same punishment.
“Of course it’s unfair,” Abdul said according to The Guardian’s report by Sean Ingle. “When you watch the previous fights of England, their boxers play a lot of bullshit. They cannot judge them wrong. I took a light punch and they counted. I landed a heavy punch on him and they deducted my points and warned me.”
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Abdul then suggested that his nationality and race had influenced the officiating. “I’m a black African, I know,” he said. “It’s God’s plan. I don’t know why the officials are scared about this fight. Why can’t they let this fight continue? All I can say about this is the referee’s decision is not right and I am not happy.”
Commonwealth chief rejects explosive claim
The accusations were rejected the following day by Dr Donald Rukare, the Ugandan president of Commonwealth Sport. Rukare maintained that the decision had been made inside the field of play and suggested Abdul’s comments had come during an emotional reaction to his elimination.
“We at Commonwealth Sport believe that every athlete is treated fairly in a non discriminatory manner,” Rukare said. “We are inclusive. I think that was probably something said in the heat of the moment.”
Rukare added that Commonwealth Sport had a positive relationship with World Boxing and believed the competition offered a fair environment for every athlete. He also indicated that Abdul’s conduct could be addressed through the appropriate disciplinary channels.
African medal success complicates racism allegation
Figures from the boxing tournament were subsequently raised as part of the response to Abdul’s accusation. African nations had already secured at least eight medals in Glasgow, with three going to Namibia, two each to Lesotho and Ghana, and one to Zambia.
That medal total does not, by itself, prove that every decision during the tournament was correct. However, it challenges the suggestion that African boxers were being systematically prevented from succeeding at the Games.
The footage appeared to show Abdul lifting his head into Thomas’s chin directly in front of the referee. With Abdul already behind on the scorecards and having received a previous warning and point deduction, Vilarino immediately stopped the contest and sent Thomas through to the semi-finals.
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