Ceremonies chief of Tokyo Olympics steps down after making demeaning comments
- Sasaki's comments were directed a plus-size Naomi Watanabe, a Japanese comedian
- He said Watanabe should perform at the ceremony dressed as a pig
- He later apologised for his statements and resigned
The Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, suffered yet another blow after Hiroshi Sasaki decided to resign from his position of creative director after passing offensive remarks about a female Japan-based comedian.
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Sasaki landed in a controversial stir after suggesting that Naomi Watanabe, a plus-size comedian should perform at the opening ceremony of the event while being dressed as a pig.
In a statement on Thursday, which came parallel to his resignation said, “My idea would be a huge insult to Ms Naomi Watanabe. This can’t be taken back. I regret this from the bottom of my heart, and I deeply apologise to her and everyone who felt discomfort over this” reported AFP. ‘
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Sasaki announced that he talked to Seiko Hashimoto, the chief for the sporting event to be hosted in Tokyo, and alerted that he would be handing in his resignation and stepping down from his position.
A press conference was later summoned on Thursday where the organising authorities addressed the issue.
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