Olympics-Tokyo organisers could choose new president this week - report (updated)

Nippon Television Holdings

15/02/2021 02:43

(Adds potential candidates to succeed Mori; changes slug from
OLYMPICS-2020/MORI)
    TOKYO, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Tokyo Olympic organisers could
choose their new president as early as this week, a report said
on Monday, after former chief Yoshiro Mori resigned over sexist
remarks that provoked a global outcry.
    Local organisers need to "urgently" pick a new president
with just five months left to prepare for the Games amid the
COVID-19 pandemic and are setting up a selection committee made
up of an equal number of men and women, the group's chief
executive Toshiro Muto said last week. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2KI02A
    The selection committee will hold its first meeting at the
start of this week, Nippon TV reported, citing unidentified
sources. Committee members will submit names of candidates in
the days after and could select the new president as soon as
this week, the report said.
    However, the process could carry over into next week if
there is a large number of candidates, Nippon TV said.
    Among those being considered to succeed Mori are Olympic
Minister Seiko Hashimoto, a pioneering female lawmaker and
seven-time Olympian who is one of only two women in Prime
Minister Yoshihide Suga's cabinet, media have said.
    Hashimoto, born just days before the 1964 Tokyo Olympics,
said on Friday she had not been asked to replace Mori.
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2KI02A
    Others who have been floated to succeed Mori include Mikako
Kotani, a two-time Olympian in synchronised swimming, now known
as artistic swimming, who serves on the Japanese Olympic
Committee, and Upper House lawmaker Tamayo Marukawa, a previous
Olympics Minister.
    Media said another possible candidate was Daichi Suzuki, a
former Olympic gold medallist backstroke swimmer who has served
as commissioner of the Japan Sport Agency, an organisation
aiming to promote sport nationwide.
    Another person being considered for the role was Koji
Murofushi, a former Olympic gold medallist hammer thrower who
has served as the agency's commissioner since October after
succeeding Suzuki.
    Mori's handpicked successor, former Japan Football
Association president Saburo Kawabuchi, 84, on Friday declined
the job after publicly accepting it earlier, news reports said.
    The Summer Olympics, which were postponed last year due to
the pandemic, are scheduled to open July 23.
    
    

 (Reporting by Chris Gallagher and Daniel Leussink; Editing by
Sam Holmes and Gerry Doyle)
 ((chris.gallagher@thomsonreuters.com;))