Filipino Surfer Sacrifices Gold Medal To Rescue Indonesian Rival

• A heroic moment happened in the 30th Southeast Asian Games when Filipino surfer Roger Casugay quickly rescued his Indonesian competitor Arip Nurhidayat.
• Apparently, the latter fell off from his board when he broke his leash.
• He ended up getting hit by massive waves until the former pulled him from the water and took him to his board.

Not all heroes wear capes because, yes, one of them rocks a surfboard. Spectators of the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games witnessed this for themselves during a surfing competition held in San Juan, La Union in the Philippines.

As seen in a short video that went viral on social media, Roger Casugay, a Filipino surfer, sacrificed his chances of winning the gold medal when he suddenly decided to save Arip Nurhidayat, his Indonesian rival, during the sports event.

A true hero: Roger Casugay didn’t even think twice about saving Arip Nurhidyat.

According to reports, the Indonesian surfer broke his leash during the third round. This resulted to him being detached from the surfboard and getting carried away by “triple overhead bomb waves,” described netizen Jefferson Ganuelas, who took pictures of the incident.

When Casugay saw what happened, he wasted no time and immediately sprang into action to rescue his fellow surfer from drowning.

The crowd later burst into applause as the two were spotted emerging from the waves, sharing Casugay’s board. He has since been hailed as a hero both by netizens and the media.

It was truly a golden moment in SEA Games history!

One commenter praised the local hero, saying the selfless act showed “sportsmanship at its finest,” adding “he won many hearts.”

Another commented that the “world needs more people like Roger.”

Meanwhile, the Philippine Sports Commission also took time to pay tribute to Casugay’s heroism.

As they wrote on Twitter:

“For a champion is known not only with the medals they reap but also with the heart that shows their golden spirit!”

Watch the video here: