Sō Takei

Sō Takei (武井 壮, Takei Sou, born May 6, 1973 in Katsushika, Tokyo) is a Japanese tarento and former track and field athlete. He was an established athlete with multiple championships for athletics and decathlon. Takei is currently active as a tarento, frequently appearing on television. He calls himself the King of Beasts, a nickname that has become associated with Takei for his persona in the entertainment industry.

Sō Takei
武井 壮
Born (1973-05-06) May 6, 1973
Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan
NationalityJapanese
Other namesKing of Beasts[1]
EducationKobe Gakuin Faculty of Law
Alma materKobe Gakuin University, Chuo Gakuin University
Occupationtarento, multi-sport athlete
Years active2003– (Entertainment industry)
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)

Life and career

Takei attended Shutoku Middle-High School and then graduated from the Faculty of Law at Kobe Gakuin University. He played baseball in middle school and did boxing in high school.[2] Because of his athletic feats in high school, he entered Kobe Gakuin exempt from the admission fee and was awarded a scholarship.[3] In university, Takei excelled in sprinting,[2] and later transitioned to focus on decathlon. He was scouted by Chuo Gakuin University during this time, and attended the university after graduating Kobe Gakuin.

In 1997, at the 81st Japan Championships in Athletics, Takei participated in decathlon and took first place with only 2 and a half years of decathlon experience at the time.[2] His 100 meter sprint time of 10.54 seconds at the decathlon was the best record in Japan until 2015. Takei stopped doing track and field after he graduated from Chuo Gakuin.

From 1998 to 2000, Takei studied abroad in the United States for golfing. From January to February 2001, he was the winter special athletics coach for the Chinatrust Whales at the Chinese Professional Baseball League. He began focusing on his career as a sports trainer in March of the same year, which he continued as one of his main active careers until 2010, as personal trainer for track and field athletes, track cycling athletes, professional golfers and professional baseball players.

In 2003, at the age of 30, Takei entered the entertainment industry and was active on television concurrently with his career as a trainer. He also aimed to become a professional baseball player around this time. In 2005, he was signed as a pitcher for Ibaraki Golden Golds, a team in industrial league baseball. Although he made multiple appearances in games, he left the team in October of the same year stating he was "too old at the age of 32" to flourish in the league.[4] Instead, he joined the amateur baseball team known as Kami-sama, made up of other celebrities.

Due to the nature of his work, Takei did not have a house from 2004 to 2013. He stayed mainly in hotels, his friend's homes and his parents’ house as he had to travel often in showbusiness and as a personal trainer.

In 2012, Takei found major success in his career in entertainment, rising to popularity with his persona as the King of Beasts.[5] Since then, he has appeared in numerous television programs and variety shows. The nickname King of Beasts has become synonymous with Takei in Japan.[6]

In 2013, Takei entered the 20th World Masters Athletics Championships in Brazil, a world-class track and field championship for athletes aged 35 and over. He won the bronze medal in the 200 metres sprint with a record of 22.64 seconds.[7] In 2014, he entered the 34th Okinawa Masters Athletics Championships as the anchor for the M40 class (age 40-44) 4 × 100 metres relay. His team Earthletes won gold medal with a record of 42.25 seconds,[8] breaking Japan's record and just 5 hundredths of a second slower than the world record of the same class.[9] In 2015, Takei was the anchor and representative for the Japanese national team for the M40 class 4 x 100 metres relay at the 21st World Masters Athletics Championships held in Lyon, France. They won gold medal with a record of 42.70 seconds.[10] In 2018, Takei entered the 23rd World Masters Athletics Championships held in Málaga, Spain, for the M45 class 4 × 100 metres relay and won gold medal with a record of 43.77 seconds.[11]

He made his international movie debut in the 2013 Indian biographical sports film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, in the role of a Japanese track and field representative.[12]

In 2017, Takei was the lyricist for the 2nd single "Do Do Do Do Dreamer" (どどどどどりーまー) for the idol group Tokimeki Sendenbu.[13]

Results

Track and field

Masters athletics

Golf
  • February 1999 - January 2000 - USGA Handicap Index - 1.3 (Best Score - 69)

References
  1. "武井壮「百獣の王目指す」／気になリスト". Nikkan Sports. 2012-11-13. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  2. 小林千穂 (2012-11-01). 武井壮「百獣の王目指す」／気になリスト Nikkan Sports. Asahi Shimbun (2012-11-13). Accessed 2019-05-01
  3. "武井壮、中高時代は学年トップで6年間学費ゼロ". ORICON STYLE. 2016-06-08. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  4. "悲しいお知らせが・・・". 武井壮の能力全開スポーツ道！！ (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  5. 武井壮:“百獣の王”の弱点は「寂しさ」 初の出版イベントに500人も男性8割- Mainichi JP(Mainichi Shimbun)
  6. "武井壮『百獣の王への道程。。。』". 武井壮オフィシャルブログ「全開武井の動物百番勝負！　目指せ百獣の王！！」by Ameba (in Japanese). Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  7. 第20回世界マスターズ陸上競技選手権大会記録一覧 公益社団法人・日本マスターズ陸上競技連合
  8. 第34回 沖縄マスターズ陸上競技選手権大会 M40クラス（40 - 44歳）の4×100メートルリレー公式記録
  9. 武井壮、マスターズ陸上リレーでアジア新記録 世界記録に100分の5秒差! ORICON STYLE（2014年6月22日配信）
  10. "武井壮が陸上のマスターズ国際大会で優勝". Sports Hochi. 2015-08-16. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  11. "武井壮　世界マスターズ陸上男子４００リレー金　アンカーは朝原氏". www.sponichi.co.jp. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  12. "武井壮、海外映画デビュー！感動のインド映画でハリウッド進出へ偉大な一歩!". Cinema Today. 2014-11-07. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
  13. "ときめき♡宣伝部、新作はヒャダイン×武井壮タッグ「どどどどどりーまー」". Natalie. Natasha. 2017-04-16. Retrieved 2019-05-01.
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