Scandal-tainted Japanese Olympic president Takeda to step down

Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) president Tsunekazu Takeda said
on Tuesday he would resign in June amid an alleged bribery case
related to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Takeda also said he would quit the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) where he is the marketing chief.

His resignation comes less than 500 days before the opening of
the 2020 Games.

French prosecutors are looking at two payments totalling two
million dollars made by Japan’s bid committee in 2013 to Black
Tidings, a Singapore company.

They suspect the money was used to buy votes which enabled Tokyo
to win the bid to host the Olympics.

The 71-year-old, however, has denied any allegations against
him.

The IOC expressed concerns that the scandal could undermine the
image of the Tokyo Games.

It has asked the JOC to solve the issue in a timely manner,
Kyodo News agency reported, citing unnamed sources.

At a news conference in January, Takeda insisted he was innocent
and then left the room after speaking for only seven minutes
without taking any questions.

dpa/NAN