Dr. Mark Prince Honored with Helen Rollason Award for Anti-Knife Crime Efforts

Dr. Mark Prince was presented with the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2024 ceremony. Prince, a former champion boxer, was recognized for his work with the Kiyan Prince Foundation. This organization aims to deter young individuals from knife crime through boxing programs. The foundation is named after Prince’s son, Kiyan, an academy footballer who was fatally stabbed outside his school’s gates in 2006. Former world boxing champion Barry McGuigan presented the award to Prince at the Sports Personality of the Year ceremony, held at MediaCity in Salford. During his address on BBC One, Prince stated: “I am not often short of words, I am always up and motivating other people, and this is really overwhelming for me.” The Helen Rollason Award acknowledges exceptional accomplishments despite significant challenges. This award was incorporated into the Sports Personality of the Year in 1999, commemorating Helen Rollason, a BBC Sport journalist and presenter who passed away from cancer at 43 years old in the same year. Prince conveyed, “I want to let Nikki Rollason [Helen’s daughter] know that this is such a blessing receiving this award in your mum’s name – your mum was an awesome individual.” Prince experienced a difficult early life, which included homelessness and involvement with crime and drugs. He transformed his life through boxing and the discipline it instilled, ultimately leading him to win the WBO intercontinental light-heavyweight title in September 1997. Prince informed BBC Sport, “I spent six years leading the wrong life – running away from home at 15 years old, a lot of drugs and crime.” He added, “I had to change, and I thought boxing was going to be the best route, and the way to make it work was if I became a champion.” Following two successful title defenses, Prince was defeated by Dariusz Michalczewski in a world title bout held in Oberhausen, Germany, in September 1998. In 2006, his son Kiyan, aged 15, was murdered by another teenager during an attempt to intervene in a fight. Kiyan was a skilled footballer who had joined the academy of the Championship team Queens Park Rangers at the age of 13. Reflecting on the loss of his son, Prince commented: “I don’t think we are built for news like that.” He continued, “I wanted to do bad things. The pain is indescribable. Boxing is easy – this was a different fight.” Prince further stated, “The only control I really have is how I deal with the situations I find myself in. After Kiyan died, I thought, ‘why don’t I do this for my son?'” Prince established the Kiyan Prince Foundation, which has engaged over 100,000 children through its various programs, life coaching, and motivational speeches. For his efforts in combating knife crime, he was appointed an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list. In 2019, after a public vote, the foundation secured the naming rights for QPR’s Loftus Road stadium and has received backing from both current and former footballers, such as Les Ferdinand, Jamie Redknapp, and Charlie Austin. Former QPR and England striker Les Ferdinand informed BBC Sport, “The club was heavily involved in supporting Mark.” Ferdinand added, “What he brings is honesty and truth. In Mark, these boys can see themselves. They come from where he did.” The current year commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Helen Rollason Award. Fatima Whitbread, a former javelin world record holder and Olympic medallist, received the award in 2023. Prior honorees include rugby league icon Rob Burrow, Scotland rugby union legend Doddie Weir, Hillsborough advocate Anne Williams, football enthusiast Bradley Lowery, and racing driver Billy Monger. Dr. Mark Prince was recognized as an OBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list.