MANILA, Philippines – They were both aiming for the gold in the men’s longboard open competition for surfing in the Southeast Asian Games 2019. But when his Indonesian competitor’s leash broke, sending the other athlete flailing in the waters, a Pinoy surfer dropped his chance of getting the gold to save his competitor’s life!
Netizens are hailing Pinoy surfer Roger Casugay as a sports hero for his exemplary sportsmanship during the surfing gold medal match at the Monalisa Pt., San Juan, La Union on Friday, December 6.
In the middle of the race for gold, Indonesia’s Arip Nurhidayat broke his leash and was swept away by the waves. Jefferson Ganuelas later shared photos of the touching moment, saying that Arip was being pounded by triple overhead bomb waves and was being swept away. There was a huge chance the Indonesian surfer could drown in those waters.
With his opponent down, Roger could have easily won the race had he continued with the match. But he set aside the race for the gold, in his belief that his opponent’s life is more precious than the gold medal he was supposed to win.
Seeing that Arip was being swept away by the waves and he was the nearest person, Roger rushed to save his opponent’s life. Then they paddled in tandem back to shore, garnering cheers from everyone.
The competition was put on hold after the incident. But no matter the outcome of the second race, Roger is the true winner in everyone’s eyes because of the amazing sportsmanship he showed to his opponent.
“That’s the essence of #WeWinAsOne! God bless us all!” a netizen commented.
“HUMAN LIFE OVER THE GOLD. It is the best example of being human, of humanity. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ATHLETIC MEETS. FOR ALL OF US TO CELEBRATE BEING HUMAN BEINGS AND DISPLAYING OUR BEST… CHARACTER INCLUDED!” another shared.
Kudos to you, Roger! You’re the best!
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
Netizens are hailing Pinoy surfer Roger Casugay as a sports hero for his exemplary sportsmanship during the surfing gold medal match at the Monalisa Pt., San Juan, La Union on Friday, December 6.
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| Photo credit: Jefferson Ganuelas / Facebook |
In the middle of the race for gold, Indonesia’s Arip Nurhidayat broke his leash and was swept away by the waves. Jefferson Ganuelas later shared photos of the touching moment, saying that Arip was being pounded by triple overhead bomb waves and was being swept away. There was a huge chance the Indonesian surfer could drown in those waters.
With his opponent down, Roger could have easily won the race had he continued with the match. But he set aside the race for the gold, in his belief that his opponent’s life is more precious than the gold medal he was supposed to win.
Seeing that Arip was being swept away by the waves and he was the nearest person, Roger rushed to save his opponent’s life. Then they paddled in tandem back to shore, garnering cheers from everyone.
 |
| Photo credit: Jefferson Ganuelas / Facebook |
The competition was put on hold after the incident. But no matter the outcome of the second race, Roger is the true winner in everyone’s eyes because of the amazing sportsmanship he showed to his opponent.
“That’s the essence of #WeWinAsOne! God bless us all!” a netizen commented.
“HUMAN LIFE OVER THE GOLD. It is the best example of being human, of humanity. THIS IS THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF ATHLETIC MEETS. FOR ALL OF US TO CELEBRATE BEING HUMAN BEINGS AND DISPLAYING OUR BEST… CHARACTER INCLUDED!” another shared.
Kudos to you, Roger! You’re the best!
— Joy Adalia, The Summit Express
