Yusuke Yamamoto and Mirai Ishimoto swept the gold medals in Singles for Japan in the opening event of the 23rd Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships which got underway Saturday at Blu-O Rhythm & Bowl Ratchayothin in Bangkok, Thailand.

Yamamoto (pictured left; all photos courtesy of TTBA), who bowled in the third and last Squad C in the men's event, rolled two consistently high three-game blocks on long oil with 702 (242, 244, 216) and 699 (224, 229, 246) to lead the field of 125 players from 22 countries with 1401 total and an average of 233.50.

Yamanamoto's feat came at the expense of Squad B leader Shabbir Dhankot (right) of India, who slipped to second place with 1396 (232.67), just five pins off the pace for the gold medal.

Dhankot beat out Mostafa Al-Mousawi of Kuwait for the silver medal by just one pin. Al-Mousawi, who led after three games with 780 (279, 255, 246) suffered two sub-par games in the second block but secured the bronze medal with 1395 (232.50).

Yeri Ramadona (right) of Indonesia, who led the opening Squad A with 1392 (232.00) finished fourth just three pins off the pace for the medals.

Yusuf Al-Awahdi (below left) of Bahrain rolled the first 3000 game of the Championships in his third game in Squad B. Al-Awahdi had to settle for 48th place due to four games under 200. Kuwait's Mohannad Ebrahim matched the feat in the fourth game of Squad C. Ebrahim finished tied for 53rd place with 1232.

Mirai Ishimoto (right) fired the highest six-game series of the event, men and women, in the first of two squads in Women's Singles to cruise to the gold medal with 1445 total and an average of 240.83.

Ishimoto, who won the gold medals in Masters and the Team event at the 2014 World Youth Championships in Hong Kong, had games of 234, 226, 248, 233, 236 and 268 on the long oil pattern to lead the field 76 players from 14 countries.

Trailing Ishimoto by 28 pins to claim the silver medal was her compatriot Misaki Mukotani (below left), who finished Squad B with back-to-back 289 and 228 for 806 and 1417 total, an average of 236.17.

Sin Li Jane (right) of Malaysia closed out with back-to-back 246 to secure the bronze medal with 1415 (235.83). All three women's finalist out averaged men's champion Yamamoto. Indonesia's Alisha Nabila Larasati was further 34 pins behind to land in fourth place with 1381 (230.17).

Action shifts to the Doubles competition. The men will bowl their six games on medium oil Monday with the women to follow on Tuesday.