Disgraced Olympic official did not want Osaka to light flame

The disgraced former chair of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee Yoshiro Mori has been accused by an insider whistle blower of insisting that he wanted a “pure” Japanese person to light the Olympic flame, not the biracial tennis star Naomi Osaka.

His choice was Hideki Matsui, a Japanese baseball outfielder who played for the New York Yankees and the Yomiuri Giants

According to an unnamed employee of Public Relations firm Dentsu, who partnered with the Tokyo Games, Mori would not hear of any other suggestion about who should bear the Olympic flame and light up the pandemic delayed games.

Naomi Osaka lights the Olympic flame in Tokyo

“He [Matsui] is a pure Japanese man and a baseball champion in the US and Japan — the embodiment of fighting spirit.”

Mori added that Matsui’s nickname was “Godzilla,” and should be given the task of lighting the Olympic cauldron.

The   insider added “if he (Matsui) wanted something changed or something done, then it was done. Mori was practically the voice of God.”

A month after Mori decided to quit his post in the wake of worldwide criticism of sexist remarks he made against women during committee meetings, Osaka, who is Black and  half Japanese, was subsequently approached in March to carry the Olympic flame and light the cauldron to open the Tokyo Games.

Main photo:- Disgraced Japanese Olympic official Yoshiro Mori. ©Tokyo Games pool photo

Roger Parker

Recent Posts

Tennis heading for the courts – courts of law that is

Tennis matches normally happen on a court. Usually grass, terre battue, or asphalt. Novak Djokovic…

1 hour ago

Draper dominates Rune to claim Masters trophy

Jack Draper fell to his knees on the hardcourt after completing a 6-2, 6-2 demolition…

2 days ago

Finalist Rune returns to the spotlight in IW

Holger Rune made a return to the conversation on Saturday as the Dane secured a…

2 days ago

Andreeva arrives among the elite with IW title win

Mirra Andreeva stunned world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 on Sunday, winning her second…

2 days ago

Draper devours semi-final bagel to finally school Alcaraz

Jack Draper will crack the ATP top 10 for the first time after the Brit defeated two-time…

3 days ago

Swiatek breaks the speed limit in rapid-fire win

Iga Swiatek switched to warp speed after rain delayed her fourth-round match by an hour,…

7 days ago