Gilas Cadet Troy Rike receives incentive for protecting Australian; donates money instead

Gilas Pilipinas Cadet Troy Rike on Wednesday received a cash incentive for his "heroic act of compassion" of protecting Australian Chris Goulding during the Philippines-Australia scuffle, but decided to donate the money instead to charity instead.

In a tweet by GMA News' Mav Gonzales, it said that Rike donated the cash to an Australian charity and Filipino charity "as a sign of goodwill."

"I just saw him on the ground and he was getting kicked and attacked. And there were people in there who weren’t supposed to be there on the court at all. I didn’t even think. It was more of a natural instinct to go over there and protect him and stop because I saw that he was defenseless," Rike said.

JUST IN: Gilas Cadet Troy Rike received a cash incentive for his “heroic act of compassion” protecting Chris Goulding in the middle of the fracas last Monday. But Troy opted to donate the money to an Australian charity and a Filipino charity as a sign of goodwill. pic.twitter.com/IXAD0wQSeg

— Mav Gonzales (@mavgonzales) July 4, 2018

In one of the photos of the brawl, Rike was seen standing over Goulding, who seemed defenseless and was surrounded by other Gilas players and event marshalls.

Rike earlier clarified he was protecting Goulding and "actively pushing people off."

Just before I hear anything about this picture or my character. I was standing over him with both legs to protect him. You can check the footage, I’m actively pushing people off. https://t.co/69RiTfk98D

— Troy Rike (@troyrike) July 2, 2018

The chaotic brawl on Monday night started at the third quarter when Gilas Pilipinas guard Roger Pogoy hit Goulding on a drive. Australia's Daniel Kickert soon delivered an elbow on Pogoy, and all hell broke loose after.

Goulding was then beaten up by several Filipinos behind a basketball post.

Goulding's agent Daniel Moldovan called the beating as an assault, and wanted FIBA to ban the Philippines for a year.

Moldovan also called out on Gilas assistant coach Jong Uichico, who was seen joining the fray and stomping a chair at someone on the ground.

Uichico has apologized for his actions. — RSJ, GMA News