Kasumigaseki Golf Club Likely to Bow to IOC Pressure

(ATR) John Coates says he expects Tokyo’s Kasumigaseki Golf Club to change its gender policy by the end of June.

"My understanding is as recent as this week there have been more discussions with the club, that it's heading in the right direction for them to have a non-discriminatory membership," IOC vice president Coates said while in Japan for the Tokyo 2020 project review.

The private golf club in Tokyo currently does not offer full membership to women, a provision which excludes women from playing the course on Sundays. Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike brought attention to the matter when she called for a change in the golf club’s gender policies.

Coates says it is possible the IOC could push a move to another venue but believes Kasumigaseki will resolve these issues.

"We will only go to a club that has non-discrimination," Coates emphasized.

The IOC’s second-in-command is reiterating the strong stance he conveyed to Around the Rings while in Sapporo, Japan for the Asian Winter Games. Coates told ATR the course manager always understood the club would have to become gender equal.

"This was the number one choice," Coates said. "They are not building a new course. This was the best. The club has already spent a fair bit of money improving the course in readiness.

"They tell me it’s heading in the right direction but our position is pretty firm. If it’s not [changed], we have to go somewhere else."

Coates said the end of June is not a firm deadline but added "at some point there has to be a cut-off".

Written by Kevin Nutley

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