BEVERLY HILLS, February 12, (THEWILL) – Saying sorry is not enough for Yoshiro Mori, President of Tokyo Olympics Organising Committee, who has confirmed he is resigning over sexist comments made earlier this month for which he had earlier tendered an apology.
As reported by THEWILL, the 83-year-old, in response to a call for the Japanese Olympic Committee to increase the number of women on its board, was quoted to have said that women would talk too much in board meetings and that they “have a strong sense of rivalry.”
Furore greeted the publication of his comments, but Mori refused to step down stubbornly holding on to his position and dodging the question of resignation in evasive comments.
However, public sentiment eventually snowballed against the former Japanese Prime Minister, with pressure from politicians, television pundits, sponsors and an online petition that drew 150,000 signatures within a few days after going online.
Today, less than six months before the rescheduled 2020 Games are set to start on July 23, Mori addressed an executive board and council meeting beginning with an apology: “My inappropriate comments caused a big trouble. I am sorry.”
“If my presence causes trouble, our efforts so far have been brought to nothing. As of today I will resign from the President’s position.”
The most important factor, he noted, was for the organising committee to make the Tokyo Olympics a resounding success. His resignation was effective immediately, and the board was expected to pick his successor later on the same day.
They are local reports in Japan that claim Mori himself had earmarked a successor in the person of Saburo Kawabuchi. The 84-year-old is the former President of Japanese football’s governing body and a former Olympian at the 1964 Games hosted coincidentally in Tokyo itself.
However, there are problems with that choice. For one, Kawabuchi is even older than Mori and, picking another man again, will raise the issue of why a woman was not appointed after the debate that Mori’s remarks triggered over gender inequality in Japan and the absence of women in positions of power across the country.
The former Olympian indicated on Thursday that although he had been contacted by Mori, he indicated he might not be the appropriate choice as replacement for the Olympics chief.
Thomas Bach, the head of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), that had worked closely with their counterparts in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics, said: “The IOC fully respects President Mori’s decision to step down and understands his reasons for doing so.
“The IOC will continue working hand-in-hand with his successor to deliver safe and secure Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 in 2021.”
The debate sparked by Mori’s unguarded remarks have put the spotlight on how far Japan lags behind other prosperous countries in advancing women in politics, the boardrooms and positions of power and decision-making. Out of 153 countries ranked in 2020, Japan was 121st in the World Economic Forum’s gender equality rankings, a decline of 11 places compared to its ranking a year before, when it ranked 110th.
The postponed Olympic games are to open on July 23, with 11,000 athletes and 4,400 more in the Paralympic a month later, with coronavirus concerns still in the air.
But, not everyone is on board the hosting as before. According to data from polls conducted recently in the country, about 80 per cent of the Japanese want the Olympics cancelled or postponed. Only a mere fraction of the country, about 15 per cent, show very clear support for the games.
How Tokyo will succeed with so much investments already involved in making the games successful while cases of COVID-19 threaten the very organising of the events themselves remains to be seen.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
