Filipino-American basketballer rewarded for protecting Boomer from enraged fans
Related Story: 'I'm most disturbed with their head coach': Longley hits out over basket-brawl Related Story: 'Bruised and battered' Boomers sorry for 'their part' of Philippines brawl
As players wait on the outcome of a FIBA investigation into the brawl between Australia and the Philippines during their World Cup qualifier on Monday night, one basketballer has received a cash reward for protecting Boomer Chris Goulding.
According to Philippines media, Troy Rike received a commendation and a 200,000 peso ($5,000) reward for standing over fallen Goulding, who was the target of enraged fans, officials and other players after Philippines guard Roger Ray Pogoy hit him with a hard foul.
Moments later Boomer Daniel Kickert retaliated with a hit on Ray Pogoy and that sparked the massive brawl.
Images appeared of Rike, 22, standing over a fallen Goulding in what appeared to be a protective stance as the fight continued around him.
External Link: Troy Rike comments on incident
Rike accepted the commendation from the national team backer, Bounty Agro Ventures Inc, on Tuesday.
ABS/CBN News reported Rike would donate some of the reward to charities in both the Philippines and Australia.
" I made the decision to take some of that money and do something good with it. I'm planning to split it and give 50,000 pesos ($1,200) to a Filipino charity and 50,000 pesos ($1,200) to an Australian charity as well," he said.
"Players and my teammates express their regret for their actions and some Australian players have expressed their regret as well.
"Obviously, both of us wish what happened would not have had happened because that is not what either country is about.
"We can't take that back and the only thing we could do is move forward and do some good with that."
'Protect the head and wait it out'
Meanwhile, Goulding has spoken publicly about the incident for the first time, saying he just tried to protect his head for what felt like a "hell of a long time" as Philippines players and officials swarmed over him.
The Boomers sharpshooter said he was "very thankful" to Australian assistant coach Luc Longley, who came to his rescue as he was attacked while lying on the floor behind one end of the court.
"It wasn't like I knew exactly what was happening, it happened from behind," Goulding told SEN radio.
"I was on the ground and 10 to 15 people were on top of me with chairs and everything you can imagine.
"At that point in time, I wasn't thinking I might lose my life, it was just literally protect the head and just wait it out."
Goulding said fellow guard Nathan Sobey had been coming to his aid when he copped a chair in the back of the head and a punch in the face.
"Sobey saw me down there, he knew what was going on and he tried to come and help and he had a chair thrown at him and then he was coward punched," he said.
"It's just something you never think you would experience.
"It felt like a hell of a long time."
Goulding also gave credit to the Australian bench players, who have copped criticism for not rushing to aid their outnumbered teammates when the Philippines bench cleared.
"In the end that discipline that we showed as a team is what won us the game. If we ran off the bench everyone would have been disqualified," he said.
AAP
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