TOKYO (JAPAN) – Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee, is all set to resign following sexist remarks he made, reported local media on Thursday. This will raise fresh doubts over the viability of conducting the Games this year.
Mori, a former PM, commented earlier that women talk too much during a meeting of the Japanese Olympic Committee board early this month, sparking a controversy in the country and abroad.
The Fuji News Network and public broadcaster NHK carried reports that the 83-year-old was prepared to step down. The Mainichi newspaper said he was expected to express his intention to leave on Friday when executive members of the Tokyo Olympics board are scheduled to conduct a meeting to discuss his sexist remark.
The TBS carried a report that former Japan Football Association president and mayor of the Olympics village, Saburo Kawabuchi, would be Mori’s replacement.
Mori had to retract his comment at a press meet on February 4 where he acknowledged that it was inappropriate and against the spirit of the Games.
When asked whether he thought that women talked too much, Mori said: “I don’t listen to women that much lately, so I don’t know”.