The head of the Tokyo Olympics is about to give up sexual comments in another blow to the Games

TOKYO (Reuters) – Tokyo 2020 Olympic leader Yoshiro Mori is expected to resign on Friday over sexual comments he made earlier this month, with the city’s Olympic mayor, Saburo Kawabuchi, saying Mori had asked to take over.

Kawabuchi said he was in tears ahead of a meeting where he accepted Mori’s request on Thursday.

“Mr. Mori was simply saying ‘I want you to take over now that this has happened’, “Kawabuchi, 84, told reporters late Thursday.

“I was thinking how sad it must be and I couldn’t stop crying,” Kawabuchi said.

Mori, 83, a former prime minister of Japan, began rising around the world with sexual views that women talk too much, he did at an Olympic committee meeting.

Mori has apologized for his comments but so far he has not resigned despite increasingly urging him to resign.

His appointment is likely to rise less than six months before the Summer Olympics raise new doubts about the viability of the Games postponed this year.

Games officials are already struggling with how to keep the Olympics safe, with tens of thousands of athletes and possibly spectators, over the spread of coronavirus infection.

Kawabuchi, who has represented Japan in football at the 1964 Olympics and was president of the Football Association of Japan, said he wants Mori to have an advisory role in the Games to help making the event a success.

Kawabuchi’s choice sparked questions on social media as to whether there was a better alternative than an older male figure.

Later on Friday, the organizing committee of the Tokyo Olympics, which has not officially commented on its role at Mori, plans to hold a meeting of its council and governing body, followed by a press conference.

Mori will explain his position at the meeting on Friday, Japanese Olympic Minister Seiko Hashimoto told parliament, referring to a phone call by Mori.

Hashimoto said the government would continue to work with other parties including the International Olympic Committee, to prepare for the event based on Olympic principles.