Boxer Lennox Lewis was made an MBE at Buckingham Palace yesterday - and told the Prince of Wales his next goal was to become undisputed heavyweight champion of the world.
Lewis, the World Boxing Council Heavyweight champion, said he thought the Prince was a big boxing fan.
Also at the ceremony was hurdler Sally Gunnell, who received an OBE for her services to athletics.
Lewis said: ''The Prince told me he was glad to be able to give me the award - I suppose that means he knows who I am and is a boxing fan.
''He asked me about my next fight and I told him I would be bringing the two other world heavyweight titles back to Britain.''
Lewis's next contest will be in March against Evander Holyfield, the International Boxing Federation and World Boxing Association heavyweight champion.
Lewis, accompanied by his brother and his manager, joked: ''I've got an MBE now and I am the WBC champion, so now I just need the IBF and WBA - and it's just as well I know my ABC.''
Gunnell said she was delighted to receive her OBE. She is the only female athlete in track history to have held all 400m hurdle titles - European, World, Commonwealth and Olympic - at the same time.
Accompanied by her husband Jon Bigg and her parents, Miss Gunnell said she was much more nervous than she expected.
''Having been here before, to receive an MBE, I thought I was an old hand. But it's still very nerve-racking,'' she said.
''The Prince said he knew I had retired from athletics but asked me if I was still involved in the sport.
''I told him that I was very interested in encouraging girls and young women to enter sport as there is a lack of female competitors, especially in track and field events.''
Gunnell, 32, retired from her athletics career last year after injury.
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