Manny Pacquiao will help promote the Philippines' bid to host the 2019 basketball World Cup tournament.
"Yes, I'm going to Tokyo with the Philippine delegation to help in our bid to host [the tournament]," the former multiple-division world champion said in a statement on Wednesday.
Pacquiao, 36, said he would travel to Japan next month when the International Basketball Association will announce the name of the host country.
The basketball-crazy Philippines qualified for last year's World Cup tournament in Spain and finished 21st.
The country will face stiff competition from China as host for the 2019 event, according to the Fiba website.
Pacquiao, who has gained worldwide fame for holding boxing world titles in eight weight divisions, is also an avid basketball fan.
Last year he signed on as player/coach of a team in the highly competitive Philippine professional league.
However, the 1.69m Pacquiao has played only for a few minutes in each match, despite the support from cheering fans.
Pacquiao has several other eggs in his basket, besides boxing and basketball. He is a congressman, representing the poverty-stricken southern Philippines, an actor and a singer who also appears in television advertisements and a campaigner for social causes.
He is recovering from shoulder surgery and has not resumed training since losing to Floyd Mayweather in May.