TOKYO 2020 CHIEF CAUSES STIR WITH SEXIST COMMENTS

The president of the Tokyo 2020 organizing committee told a meeting on Wednesday that female directors talked too much, which was “annoying,” according to Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun.

Yoshiro Mori, a former prime minister, pictured, made the comments, some of which were greeted with laughter, at a meeting with members of the Japanese Olympic Committee, the Asahi reported.

Tokyo 2020 could not be immediately reached for comment.

“If we increase the number of female board members, we have to make sure their speaking time is restricted somewhat, they have difficulty finishing, which is annoying,” Mori said, according to the report from the Asahi. “We have about seven women at the organizing committee but everyone understands their place.”

The JOC board has 25 members, of whom five are women. According to the committee's governance code, it should be aiming to make sure that 40 per cent seats on the board are filled by women.