Head of Tokyo 2020 Olympics organising committee set to quit over sexist remarks – report

The head of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games organising committee is poised to step down after making sexist remarks, according to reports.

A man holds a placard with pictures of Yoshiro Mori, president of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic organising committee, who is expected to his resign after making sexist remarks. Picture: Yuichi Yamazaki/Getty Images

The Kyodo news agency in Japan claims the organising committee president Yoshiro Mori will quit his post after saying that meetings tended to drag on when women were involved.

The Tokyo 2020 executive board will meet on Friday in the wake of the comments, with a press conference scheduled for 7.30am UK time.

Kyodo reports that Saburo Kawabuchi, a former chair of the Japanese Football Association and one of the key figures in the foundation of its professional football competition the J.League, is set to replace Mori.

Earlier this week the International Olympic Committee released a statement saying Mori’s comments were “inappropriate” but stopped short of calling for him to quit.

It is the latest setback for the Games organisers, who have been beset by problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Games were due to take place last summer but were delayed by 12 months.

Covid-19 cases remain high in many areas of the world with the vaccine rollout only in its early stages, yet there is no suggestion of a second postponement or cancellation despite the staging of the Games remaining unpopular among Tokyo residents.

Mori himself has apologised for the sexist remarks which have been widely condemned, but it now appears he is going to leave his post with just seven months to go until the Olympic Games are due to begin in Japan.

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