Tokyo 2020 chief quits after sexist remarks towards women
Yoshiro Mori, chief of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, resigned on Friday over sexist remarks that sparked a global outcry.
The former Japanese prime minister received a backlash when he said during an Olympic committee meeting earlier this month that ‘women talk too much’.
Mori’s resignation comes months before the postponed games are scheduled to begin, further eroding public confidence in Tokyo’s ability to pull off the event.
Mori, 83, said: “My inappropriate comments caused a big trouble. I am sorry.”
Replacement
On Thursday, Mori asked the mayor of the Olympic village, 84-year-old Saburo Kawabuchi, to take over his position.
However, public criticism of his hand-picked successor, another elderly male, reportedly saw Kawabuchi decline the role.
Japanese media are touting Olympics minister Seiko Hashimoto, a woman who has represented the country in both the summer and winter games, as a possible candidate.
The organisers of the world’s largest sporting event published a “playbook” last week, outlining plans to ensure the summer games go ahead safely.