Japan’s Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto, 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.
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)
