Olympic organisers poised to ditch 'plagiarised' 2020 Tokyo Games logo

Organisers of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will stop using a logo that attracted controversy over claims of plagiarism, just days after pledging to stand behind the scandal-hit emblem, Japanese media said on Tuesday.

The decision reported by public broadcaster NHK and the TBS network caps off an embarrassing month for Japanese Olympic officials after plans for a US$2 billion national stadium were ripped up due to its eye-watering cost.

The committee declined to comment on the reports, but said it would hold a press briefing on Tuesday evening.

Japanese media, without citing sources, said the committee would officially scrap the emblem at the press conference due to the brewing controversy.

The final nail in the coffin may have been that designer Kenjiro Sano swiped images posted on the internet to highlight locations in Tokyo where his logo could be displayed, media reported.

The logo has been swept up in controversy since its unveiling in July after Belgian designer Olivier Debie claimed it copied work he had done for a theatre company.