A rare feel-good story has emerged from this week's 'basketbrawl' after it was revealed that a Filipino player was the first person to come to Chris Goulding's rescue.
More than a dozen Filipino players, officials, and fans launched into Goulding while the Australian lay defenceless on the ground during Monday night's brawl.
The actions sparked worldwide outrage, and former NBA centre Luc Longley was touted as the saviour after arriving to clear out the pack of attackers surrounding Goulding.
But it has since been revealed that a fringe Filipino player was the first to act in Goulding's defence.
Troy Rike pushed his way through the pack and started shoving away the people landing blows on Goulding.
The 22-year-old put one foot either side of Goulding in a protective stance as he continued to push away the crowd of people, some of who were his teammates and coaches.
About 10 seconds after Rike had first arrived on the scene, Longley came in to clear out the remaining pack.
American-born Rike, who is a cadet on the Philippines side and was on the bench in his tracksuit when the fight erupted, has since been rewarded for his actions.
The team's major sponsor - a restaurant franchise - awarded Rike P100,000; the equivalent of $A2539.
Rike continued the goodwill by donating the money to a charity from each of the two countries.
He donated to the Murdoch Children's Research Institute in Australia, and World Vision in the Philippines.
Rike, whose mother is from the Philippines, said he felt a duty to protect Goulding.
"From far away, I just saw someone getting attacked on the ground," Rike told foxsports.com.au
"I didn't even know who it was. I just ran over, and I thought that, whoever it was, was getting kicked, holding himself, he was defenceless.
"I wasn't really thinking. I just went over and tried to get people off him, because he was obviously in a bad way."
Players from the two nations are facing long bans and heavy fines from FIBA over the brawl, but Rike can feel safe that he will escape any sanction.
