SEA Games 2019: Indonesia President praises Philippines surfer Roger Casugay for act of sportsmanship

On Monday, Indonesia President Joko Widodo showered praises on Filipino surfer Roger Casugay for heroically saving a rival competitor Arip Nurhidayat at the SEA Games 2019, despite knowing that doing so would cost him a much-deserved gold medal.

“Winning the competition and upholding sportsmanship is important, but humanity is above all. My appreciation for Roger Casugay, a Filipino surfer who lost the chance to gain gold to save an Indonesian athlete from falling during the competition,” Widodo wrote on Twitter, on Monday.

Check out Widodo’s tweet right here:

Earlier on Saturday, Casugay’s heroic actions went viral on social media, after he saved Indonesian surfer Arip Nurhidayat whose surfing leash snapped during one of the heats in the Men’s longboarding event at the SEA Games 2019 in San Juan, La Union, the Philippines.

“As a surfer, we have a brotherhood. No matter what happens, if someone is needing my help, I will be there. If you have something to give, you have to give it,” Casugay was quoted as saying by CNN Philippines later that day.

The minor mishap resulted in the event getting rescheduled, after which the Filipino and Indonesian surfers battled once again in the same event.

Casugay rightfully progressed to the final, where he went on to win the gold medal after defeating fellow Filipino surfer Jay-R Esquivel in the finals.