Tokyo Olympics: 1,000 volunteers have quit following Mori's sexist comments
TOKYO (Kyodo February 25) -- Roughly 1,000 volunteers who were to help out at this summer's Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics have quit in the wake of sexist comments by former organizing committee president Yoshiro Mori, the committee said Wednesday.
The resignations -- as of Tuesday -- represent a little more than 1 percent of the 80,000 volunteers needed to help out at this summer's games, while the organizing committee said this turn of events will have no effect on the games' operations.
Speaking in a Japanese Olympic Committee meeting on Feb. 3, the 83-year-old former prime minister asserted that participation by women in board meetings made them "drag on." Mori resigned following a wave of criticism at home and abroad.
The organizers said roughly 390 resignations were received between Feb. 4 and Feb. 8. By Feb. 11, that number had nearly doubled to 740.
