Japan’s Olympic Committee president resigns amid corruption allegations

The president of the Japanese Olympic Committee (JOC) has said he will resign amid allegations of corruption over Tokyo’s successful bid to host the 2020 Games.

Tsunekazu Takeda is being investigated by French prosecutors who are looking into claims a 2m Euro (£1.7m) bribe was paid to secure Tokyo's winning bid.

Tokyo was awarded the Games in 2013, beating Madrid and Istanbul.

"I don't believe I've done anything illegal," Takeda said as he announced he would not seek re-election.

"It pains me to have created such a fuss, but I believe it is my responsibility to serve out the rest of my term," he added.

Takeda's tenure ends in June.

The president said he would resign from both posts. “I would like to leave the future of the JOC to a younger generation to lead up to Tokyo 2020,” he said during an executive board meeting on Tuesday.

While Takeda, who heads the IOC’s marketing commission, has insisted the payments were legitimate compensation for consultancy services, the investigation has cast a shadow over preparations for the Tokyo Olympics, which begin in less than 500 days.

The company to which the payment was made is linked to the son of former world athletics chief Lamine Diack, who was a member of the International Olympic Committee when it awarded the Games to Tokyo and is the subject of corruption allegations being looked at by French investigators.

The son, Papa Massata Diack, also faces corruption allegations - which he denies.

A JOC panel has already cleared Japanese bidding officials of any illegal activity in the case, their 2016 report said the payment was a legitimate one for consulting services.

Takeda is a veteran Olympics official who competed as a show jumper in 1972 and 1976.

He has been JOC president since 2001.