Tokyo, Feb 9 (AFP/APP): Tokyo Olympic organizers are planning to meet this week to discuss their response to sexist comments made by their boss, reports said Tuesday, after hundreds of Games volunteers quit in the ensuing furore.
Gaffe-prone Tokyo 2020 chief Yoshiro Mori, 83, sparked uproar last week when he said women speak too much in meetings.
He has since apologised but not stepped down, and the International Olympic Committee says it considers the matter closed. The Tokyo 2020 organising committee is planning a special meeting, possibly on Friday, to discuss its response as calls grow for Mori to resign, Japanese media said.
Following Mori’s remarks, 390 Olympic and Paralympic volunteers have quit, the committee said, noting that this number includes withdrawals for all reasons.
A total of 80,000 volunteers from Japan and overseas have been recruited for this summer’s virus-postponed Games.
Two people have pulled out of the torch relay and around 4,000 people made complaint calls to organisers, said public broadcaster NHK.
The row is the latest headache for organisers already battling public disquiet about the delayed Olympics, with polls showing more than 80 percent of Japanese oppose holding it this summer.
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