Former World Boxing Association super flyweight champion Shoji Kobayashi, head of Celes Boxing Sports Gym in Tokyo, ran for the presidency of the East Japan Pro Boxing Association, it was reported on Feb. 9 at the JPBA-East’s board meeting.

The current President Susumu Hanagata, 75, head of Hanagata Boxing Gym, assumed the post in April 2019 but will not seek re-election when his three-year term expires at the end of the coming March, due to old age.

The deadline for the application of the presidency is Feb. 17. Should another candidate or other candidates run for the presidency, an election will be held at the organization’s general meeting on Feb. 25, according to the organization sources.

Forty-eight-year-old Kobayashi, known as Celes Kobayashi when he was an active boxer, said via online, ‘’I have been serving as a board member for more than 10 years and am indebted to the boxing world. I want to give it to return the favor in some way, especially in today’s confusion (caused by COVID-19).’’

After making his professional debut in 1992, Kobayashi became the Japanese flyweight champion in 1998 and successfully defended the title four times. He became the WBA super flyweight champion in 2001 for his second world title challenge. He retained the title once. But he retired after losing the title in 2002.

Kobayashi launched Celes Boxing Sports Gym in 2003 and has nurtured many good boxers, including former International Boxing Federation super bantamweight champion Ryosuke Iwasa.