A National Security Force officer patrols outside the beach volleyball arena along Copacabana Beach ahead of the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Aug 2. (AP)

RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 3, (RTRS): 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 Heebeom 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.