Pinoy surfer Roger Casugay is being hailed a hero and the best example of sportsmanship after he dropped his chance of winning the gold to save the life of his Indonesian competitor, amid the race for gold in the SEA Games Men's Long Board Competition.
Photos of the heartwarming moment were shared by netizen Jefferson Ganuelas who was watching the competition from the shore. The event was held at the Monalisa Pt., San Juan, La Union.
Photo credit: Jefferson Ganuelas / Facebook
According to Jefferson, the leash broke on the longboard of Indonesian athlete Arip Nurhidayat (@mencosss) in the middle of the men’s longboard open competition for surfing. Instead of proceeding to the shore to secure the gold and letting the emergency teams do their job, Roger rushed to Arip’s rescue.
The Indonesian surfer was having a hard time as he was getting swept away by the waves and help was still too far away from their location.
Believing that his opponent’s life is more valuable than winning the gold, Roger rushed to Arip’s side to save him. Every second count when it comes to drowning, especially when you’re being pounded by giant waves out at sea.
Thankfully, Roger had the presence of mind to go after his opponent and save him from drowning. Then, they both paddled in tandem back to shore. Cheers erupted from the spectators as they saw the two making it to safety.
While Roger could have easily won the gold in that moment, he still won gold in the hearts of netizens who praised him for his impressive sportsmanship.
“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!” a netizen summed up.
