Olympics-Games trio from Asia to work on joint projects

By Karolos Grohmann RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The hosts of the next three winter and summer Olympics in Asia will meet in Rio de Janeiro to make plans aimed at maximising commercial collaborations, the head of the Pyeongchang 2018 organising committee said on Wednesday. The International Olympic Committee has awarded the 2018 winter Games to the South Korean city and the 2022 Olympics to China's Beijing. The 2020 summer Games will be held in Tokyo, putting Asia firmly in the Olympic spotlight. Pyeongchang Games chief Lee Hee-beom said on Wednesday that leaders from the three host cities had staged a conference call on June 28 to discuss joint opportunities and a meeting has been planned during the Rio Games in Brazil, which open on Friday. Lee, who started his role in May, said issues to be discussed included commercial opportunities and the exchange of expertise and Olympic experiences. "We will have the first face-to-face meeting here to develop these ideas and look for the best measures to maximise collaborations in the years to come," he told the IOC session in Rio. "We will work hard for success at the Games in 2018. Our preparations are fully on track." Lee replaced Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho. He brings little in the way of sports administration experience to the role, but his business ties are seen as helping organisers meet sponsorship targets. The IOC's coordination commission chief Gunilla Lindberg, who oversees progress, said Pyeongchang organisers had so far raised more than $600 million in sponsorship. "They have raised 615 million dollars in sponsorship which is 81 percent of the revenue goal. 90 percent is expected to be reached by the end of the year," Lindberg said. Sponsorship had been lagging behind for years after they were awarded the Games in 2011. She said, however, two venues were still "slightly delayed". "The IBC (international broadcasting centre) and the sliding centre. International federation representatives will go directly from here to Pyeongchang to see the progress," she said. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Toby Davis)