Head of the Tokyo Olympics Yoshiro Mori resigned Friday after a scandal over sexist remarks he made about women threatened to overshadow preparations for the pandemic-hit games.
“As of today I will resign from the president's position,” Mori said to open a meeting of the Olympic Committee's executive board and council.
His departure came following an outcry both at home and abroad after he reportedly said women talk too much and have a “strong sense of rivalry” during a board meeting earlier this month.
Nonetheless, Mori said he did not intend to demean women, saying the comments were "a matter of interpretation," blaming the media for fueling the public anger.
He apologized again this morning while announcing he was stepping down. "My inappropriate comments caused a big trouble. I am sorry," he said.
"What is important is to hold the Olympics in July, so I cannot stand in the way of preparations," he affirmed. "If I cause trouble by remaining on the job, our efforts will all turn to waste."
Last month, Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga asserted that they will hold Tokyo Olympics, denying reports that the games would be canceled this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Suga had expressed his absolute determination to hold the Games, noting that meetings are ongoing to ensure that they could go ahead.
Moreover; he affirmed that the Games “will be a symbol of humanity overcoming the novel coronavirus, and a chance to showcase Japan’s reconstruction from the devastating (2011) earthquake and tsunami to the world.”
“We are determined to work closely together with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee, and the IOC to realize a safe and secure Olympics,” Japan’s PM added.
Follow the latest news on Google News
