More accolades are coming Filipino surfer Roger Casugay’s way.
International recognition is being granted the 24-year-old Casugay, some eight months after he saved a fellow competitor’s life in the 30th Southeast Asian Games.
The International Committee on Fair Play has voted to give him the Pierre de Coubertin World Fair Play Trophy.
The trophy has been awarded to numerous athletes since 1965 for gestures and actions’ athletes do in the middle of their own performances to aid a fellow competitor who is in trouble.
It is one of three trophies which the CIFP has been handing out, aside from the Jean Borotra Trophy and the Willi Daume award.
The Borotra prize is handed out to recognize athletes who have displayed fair play throughout their careers, while the Daume prize is turned over to a person or organization that has promoted the spirit of fair play.
CIFP Secretary General Sunil Sabharwal confirmed Casugay’s recognition during a meeting of the International Association of Athletics Federation, to which he is a board member.
Sabharwal said he is now reaching out to the Casugay through officials of the IAAF’s local body in the Philippines.
The awarding rites are set to be held tentatively on Oct. 27 in Monaco.
Casugay, who is from La Union, was also given the Fair Play award at the closing rites of the SEA Games.
Casugay was leading his event when Indonesian surfer Arip Nurhidayat encountered problems when his board was thrown up in the air due to the force of the wave.
Hailed as a hero, Casugay won the gold medal, even beating the rival he rescued on his way to glory.
Nurhidayat was swept away in the choppy waters in a SEA Games longboard qualifying round.
But, Casugay managed to reach Nurhidayat in time after he lost his board in the swell.
