Japan's Mirai Ishimoto and Choi Woo Sub of Korea took the early lead in the 13th CGSE World Youth Championships Singles event, which got underway Friday morning at South China Athletic Association Bowling Center, Hong Kong, China, with Squad A featuring 24 girls and 44 boys.

Ishimoto (pictured left) averaged 208.67 on the 35 feet Beijing lane conditioning pattern, the shorter of the two oil patterns which will be used in this Championships. The right-hander started the six-game series with 190, 172 and 236 before she rolled the highest game of the girls division so far with 269. She closed her set with 200 and 185 to set the early pace with 1252.

Junior Team USA member Liz Kuhlkin (pictured left with technical delegate John Janawicz, left, and Sarah Lokker, right) was 36 pins behind to take second place with 1216 (202.67 average) including four games between 221 and 201.

Merlina San Nicolas (right) of Mexico was mere three pins behind with 1213 (202.17) powered by a high game of 246.

Rounding out the top four was Kuhlkin's teammate Sarah Lokker, who toppled 1177 pins, a 196.17 average. Only the top four of the 96 under-21 girls from 29 countries will survive the Singles preliminaries and advance to the playoffs on Saturday afternoon.

On the boys' side, lefty Choi Woo Sub (left) used six games between 265 and 218 to become the first player in this Championships to crack the 1400-bar.

Choi had games of 237, 218, 225, 265, 224 and 244 to take the pole position in the boys division with 1413 and an average of 235.50.

Trailing the Korean by 25 pins to sit in second place was Mexican Mario Herrera (right), who finished his series with a huge 277 game for 1388 (231.33).

Muhd Rafiq Ismail (left), a lefty from Malaysia, used high games of 262 and 255 to help grab third place with 1371 (228.50).

Rounding out the top 4, who will advance to the playoffs at the end of the qualifying, was Maxim Okorokov (right) of Russia, who toppled 1367 pins, an average of 227.83, including high games of 266 and 249 in games four and six.

Qualifying continues Friday with Squad B and concludes on Saturday with Squads C and D. The No. 1 meets the No. 4 and the No. 2 bowls the No. 3 in the semifinals starting Saturday at 6 p.m. Hong Kong time. The winners bowl for gold and silver while the losers share the bronze medal.


In cooperation with the Asian Bowling Federation (ABF) and the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress, Bowlingdigital.com will cover the Championships live from Hong Kong.

The United States Bowling Congress is working in cooperation with the host federation, the Hong Kong Tenpin Bowling Congress, to provide live streaming on BowlTV.


The WYC is made possible by title sponsor, The Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society World, and co-sponsors Chancellor Precious Metals, Fine Metal Asia Limited, Glory Sky and Safe Gold Bullion Limited as well as Watsons Water and Mr. Juicy, the Official Drink Sponsor of the event.