Filipino Surfer Gives Up Chance Of Gold Medal To Help Indonesian Rival

Dec 10, 2019 by apost team

Athletic competition has a way of transforming people into their best selves. Through dedication and hard work, athletes strive to achieve their goals and bring home the win. Sometimes, however, winning isn’t everything.

A surfer from the Philippines recently became living proof of the truth of the old adage, “It doesn’t matter whether you win or lose, only how you play the game.”

Roger Casugay had been training for years as a surfer. Last week, Roger got the honor of competing in the 30th Southeast Asian, or SEA, Games in Central Luzon, Philippines. During his set, Roger was poised to get a gold medal when he saw a surfer in need, reports The Straits Times.

One of Roger’s chief rivals, Indonesian surfer Arip Nurhidayat, broke from the leash on his surfboard during the competition’s third round. Struggling in the waves, Arip was then pounded with what Jefferson Ganuelas, a resident of Central Luzon, described in his Facebook post as triple overhead bomb waves.

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Roger knew that Arip’s life was in danger and immediately sprang to his aid. As Jefferson took pictures of the rescue, those in attendance on the beach applauded Roger’s selfless act as they came back to safety together on Roger’s board. A video of the rescue has also been watched over 5 million times on Twitter.

News of Roger’s good deed quickly spread like wildfire on social media. One sports commentator called the young surfer a hero, saying that he won many hearts for his rescue of Arip. Another said that his rescue was sportsmanship at its finest.

The Philippine Sports Commission also praised Roger’s selflessness on their Twitter page. The agency told those that follow them on the social media platform that a champion is not just measured by the medals he has won, but by the purity of his heart.

What do you think of how Roger Casugay gave up the gold medal to save fellow surfer Arip Nurhidayat? What would you do if you were in a similar situation?