More than 500 volunteers and three torchbearers of the Olympic torch relay refused to further participate in the events due to the scandal with the statements of the head of the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics, former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori. This was announced by the NHK TV channel on Thursday, February 11.
The Tokyo mayor’s office received about 1,690 phone calls condemning Mori’s statements. As a result of the scandal, about 390 volunteers who were supposed to work directly at the Games, and more than 150 people who were supposed to be employed at guest service events in the regions. Also, three torchbearers refused to participate, while two of them are popular artists in Japan.
On February 10, sponsors of the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, Toyota and the major oil corporation ENEOS, criticized Yoshiro Mori’s sexist statements.
Earlier in February, during a meeting of the organizing committee of the Olympic Games – 2020, Mori said that, allegedly due to the increase in the number of women in sports committees and federations, it leads to the fact that the meetings last much longer, since women speak for a long time and each of them considers it necessary that- then say.
He later publicly apologized for his remarks, but felt that he should continue to fulfill his duties in the organizing committee. Nevertheless, Mori did not rule out the possibility of his resignation, if required by the organization.
The Tokyo Olympics were supposed to take place from July 24 to August 9, 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, the competition was postponed for a year. They are now planned for the period from July 23 to August 8, 2021. The upcoming competition was named “Tokyo 2020”. The Paralympic Games will be held from August 24 to September 5.
The Summer Olympics in the Japanese capital were the first in history to be postponed in peacetime.