Updated: February 12, 2021, 12:06 pm
Yoshiro Mori is stepping down (Kim Kyung-hoon/AP)
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The beleaguered Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games were plunged into a fresh crisis on Friday following the resignation of the president of the Tokyo organising committee, Yoshiro Mori.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the circumstances behind Mori’s departure and assesses its potential impact on the build-up to the delayed Games.
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Mori broke the news of his resignation on Friday during a meeting of the Tokyo 2020 executive board.
According to the former Japanese prime minister, the measure became imperative to avoid damaging the body’s reputation.
“My inappropriate remarks have caused chaos, and I would like to apologise to express my deepest apologies to the members of the council and executive board, as well as the entire community,” he said.
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“The important thing is that the Olympic Games are held in July. If I am going to be [an obstacle] to their delivery by remaining in my position, then that is something we should avoid.
KUOW - Tokyo Olympic Organizers Face Pressure From Volunteers, Diplomats Over Sexist Remarks kuow.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kuow.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Yoshiro Mori, the president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee, listens to a question from a journalist during a news conference in Tokyo last Thursday.
With this summer s Tokyo Olympics already hanging in the balance due to the coronavirus pandemic, public outrage over sexist remarks by the Games organizing chief has thrown the event into a deeper crisis.
Despite the efforts of Japanese and Olympic officials to quash the debate, pressure on 83-year-old Yoshiro Mori is mounting over his comments last week saying that women talk too much in board meetings.
Japan s public broadcaster NHK reports that the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Organizing Committee will convene a special board meeting as soon as Friday to discuss the crisis. Japan s Olympic Minister says the meeting will discuss whether or not Mori should resign.
Despite the efforts of Japanese and Olympic officials to quash the debate, pressure on the Games' organizing chief is mounting over his recent comments that women talk too much in board meetings.