TOKYO (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.
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.
The Summer Olympics, which were postponed last year due to the pandemic, are scheduled to open July 23.
(Reporting by Chris Gallagher; Editing by Sam Holmes)
