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.
“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
Doping sanction victim Simona Halep has gone online to protest her own treatment by anti-doping…
Rafael Nadal lined up for what was to be the final match of his career…
Jannik Sinner took charge in front of his home crowd on Sunday, crushing ATP Finals…
Daniil Medvedev went into meltdown mode on Sunday during a highly charged 6-4, 6-3 loss, with opponent…
Jannik Sinner could well be missing from the opening European clay event of next season…
Rafael Nadal will bring down the curtain on his career next month as he plays his…