Japan’s Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto who is tipped to succeed Yoshiro Mori as President of the Tokyo Games Organising Committee has resigned her ministerial post, Kyodo news agency reported on Thursday.
The 56-year-old submitted her resignation to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, the Japanese news agency said. This would pave her way to take up the new post.
Kyodo reported on Wednesday that a working group had decided that a woman should preside over the committee for the Games postponed from 2020 and that Hashimoto would be asked.
The 56-year-old seven-time speed-skating Olympian is a member of Suga’s conservative LDP party.
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Organizers are to meet on Thursday and a final decision must come from the committee board.
Mori resigned last week after making sexist remarks that sparked an international uproar.
He had told a Japan Olympic Committee (JOC) meeting that women talk too much at meetings of boards of directors.
(dpa/NAN)
