With the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympic games days away, composer Keigo Oyamada has stepped down, after quotes in which he acknowledged bullying classmates in his youth resurfaced and stirred controversy. He added: "As for my participation in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, I acutely feel that my having accepted the request was lacking consideration for various people." One user wrote: "Athletes with disabilities will come to the Paralympic Opening Ceremony with the music of this Keigo Oyamada. Another posted: "The music of Keigo Oyamada, who once abused minorities and people with mental disabilities, should not be eligible for the Olympic and Paralympic Games." Already delayed a year by the coronavirus pandemic, the Tokyo games are set to begin Friday and run through Aug 8.

Source: The Star July 20, 2021 04:30 UTC