Former professional boxer and current popular actor Hidekazu Akai, who has recently assumed the post of the Japan Boxing Federation’s committee for the popularization of men’s boxing said at an online press conference on Sept. 25 that he wants to see the number of people taking up the sport rise to 100,000 in the future from the present some 4,300.

Akai, 61, said, ‘’I have been working as an actor for 31 years, and boxing was my first movie material as it was entitled ‘’I will open up a can of whoop-ass (Dotsui-taru-nen)’’. I am therefore always thankful to boxing for making what I am now and have always wanted to return the favor to boxing.’’

Akai immediately assumed the post when he was asked by the federation’s president Sadanobu Uchida, Akai’s junior in Kinki University.

‘’I hope many more people come to watch amateur boxing,’’ Akai added.

Akai was one of the candidates for the 1980 Moscow Olympics, which Japan boycotted for political reasons, and is currently serving as an honorary manager of Kinki University’s boxing club. He won the interscholastic athletic meet when he was a Naniwa Gakuin high school student in Osaka.

He turned pro while he was still a student at the university in 1980 and continued fighting until 1985.