Tokyo Olympics chief Mori to step down over sexist remarks: Report

TOKYO: Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics organising committee head Yoshiro Mori will resign over his remarks about women talking too much, which were branded "sexist" at home and abroad, sources familiar with the matter said Thursday, Kyodo News reported.

On February 3, Mori complained about what he believes is women's tendency to talk too much and to have "a strong sense of rivalry" when he was asked about increasing gender diversity among board members of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC).

However, a day later he issued an apology but insisted that he has no plan to step down.

"It was a careless remark and I want to express my apologies. I had no intention of discriminating against women," Kyodo News had quoted Mori as saying.

He made the comments in a JOC meeting held online and open to the media. The JOC board has 25 members, of whom five are women.

Earlier, Mori had said that the Olympic games will go ahead no matter how the coronavirus pandemic situation evolves.

"We will make sure the Games will be held no matter how the COVID-19 situation will be. We go beyond the discussion of whether we hold (the Games) or not hold. We are to come up with 'new' Olympics," CNN had quoted Mori as saying in a news conference.

The Tokyo Olympics were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Games are now scheduled to be held from July 23 to August 8 while the Paralympics will take place from August 24 to September 5.

International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach had put all speculations to rest, asserting that they are "fully concentrated on and committed" to stage the Tokyo Olympics.

"We are fully concentrated on and committed to the successful and safe delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, starting on July 23 with the Olympic Games and August 24 with the Paralympic Games," IOC's official website had quoted Bach as saying.