tiu.natiCsZ .. chEck disZ out ! (:


GIRLS and even the "girls-at-heart" can’t help but
> > scream once this 5-feet-11-inch shooting guard-cum-team
> captain steps
> > into the hard court.
> >
> > Everyone keeps an eye on this man wearing jersey no. 17 as he
> dribbles
> > the orange ball and throws it through the basket;
> pandemonium breaks
> > loose every time he makes a field goal beyond the three-
> point line.
> >
> > Players from the other member-schools of the University Athletic
> Association
> > of the Philippines perhaps envy the attention that this
> 22-year-old
> > gets, on and off court.
> >
> > He’s not a bird—but he’s a high-flying Blue Eagle—not
> > a plane—but a dominating force who could sweep the
> fields away.
> >
> > And his name is… Tiu-perman, err, Chris Tiu!
> >
> > As to why the fans—tagged as "Tiu-natics," who made
> > a fan site, www..christiu. tk, and 70 plus fictitious
> Friendster accounts
> > in his honor—go crazy over this hard court heartthrob,
> only Christopher
> > John Alandy Dy Tiu himself could answer.
> >
> > "[Maybe] because people notice that I play with passion,"
> > Chris begins with a smile, during our tête-à-tête
> > at the Cuneta Astrodome’s dugout weeks ago. His chinky
> eyes and
> > boyish looks are reminiscent of the late matinee idol
> Rico Yan.
> >
> > "I’m lucky to be given this kind of opportunity [and] the
> > Lord’s been great to me! I’m able to become an
> inspiration
> > and example to others—and that makes me proud as an
> Atenean. [To
> > the fans,] thanks for always supporting me, [whether we
> win or lose].
> > The fans are an important element. They’re the key
> factor for me
> > to be able to perform well… a big thank you to all the
> people out
> > there who [really] appreciate what we’re doing!"
> >
> > One of the most touching things that a supporter ever did to him
> happened
> > during his trip to Cagayan de Oro recently: "A fan gave
> me a compiled
> > set of my pictures [that they got] from the Internet and
> [they] laminated
> > it. The small pictures have little notes and messages
> for me. Some letters
> > [just] make me feel good about myself that I’m able to
> touch lives."
> >
> > Basketball in his vocabulary
> > "It’s about competition and teamwork. It’s a fun sport
> > to play: A lot of people enjoy watching this sport here
> in the Philippines.
> > [And] it’s an honor for me to play basketball because I
> really
> > love this game, and I like to play for the school!"
> >
> > Tiu’s passion for basketball started when he’s in elementary,
> > at Xavier School in San Juan. He’s further "polished"
> > when his parents enrolled him at Milo Best Sports
> Clinic. "I was
> > under the different coaches for two years. I joined the
> Small Basketeers
> > of the Philippines league when I was in grade four.
> [Then] eventually,
> > I kept on playing for the different groups like the
> Paserelle, Tiong
> > Lian [a competition among different Chinese schools],
> etc." His
> > grandfather Luis Alandy Dy, by the way, played for the
> University of
> > Santo Tomas Growling Tigers in the late 1930s and early
> 1940s.
> >
> > He’s been wearing jersey no. 17 since grade six. "I started
> > playing basketball very well after I was given this
> number (he smiles).
> > When I played for SBP, I [even] won an MVP award." As
> the cliché
> > goes, the rest is history. He’s eventually recruited by
> the Ateneo
> > de Manila University to play for the UAAP.
> >
> > But he revealed that De La Salle University drafted him for the
> lineup
> > of Green Archers, too. "Since I came from Xavier,
> [managed by the
> > Jesuits] I liked the way they run [the school], I was
> [already] familiar
> > with the system and teachings [of the Jesuits], I felt
> more comfortable
> > and so [I told myself that] this [Ateneo] is where I’m
> going to
> > spend the four years of my college life!" He came in
> 2003, a year
> > after the Blue Eagles won in men’s division of UAAP’s
> 65th
> > season.
> >
> > Mr. Three-pointer
> > Tiu already graduated last March with a degree in management
> engineering.
> > He’s now taking up his second course, applied
> mathematics major
> > in mathematical finance. "I still have one year [left]
> to play
> > for the UAAP." When asked if he sees himself ooping the
> hoop for
> > PBA two years from now, he says: "I think everything is
> in God’s
> > plan. What’s important is you work hard always. Do
> whatever God
> > has planned for you. It’s all up to Him: We just have to
> do our
> > part. We just have to keep working hard and try to make
> things happen.
> > In the end, it’s all about Him."
> >
> > How does this chief gunner do his famed three-point shots? "[It
> > actually requires] a lot of practice. It requires mental
> focus.. It’s
> > also about having confidence and being able to see your
> shot go in [you
> > visualize it], and you feel the excitement when you make
> it!" he
> > enthuses. His preparations for an upcoming game include
> eating the right
> > kinds of food, sleeping well and making sure that he’s
> physically
> > prepared. NBA players Michael Jordan and Steve Nash as
> well as PBA baller
> > Jimmy Alapag of Talk N’ Text Phone Pals are among his
> hard court
> > icons.
> >
> > Superman
> > Basketball’s just one of the many facets of his vibrant life.
> > He’s also a public servant, Sangguniang Kabataan
> chairman at Urdaneta
> > village in Makati City; and a student-entrepreneu r, he
> runs a small
> > business called "Chinky Chickens," which sells chicken
> rice
> > meals, at Ateneo’s John Gokongwei Student Enterprise
> Center.
> >
> > "I enjoy playing golf, and I play the piano just for fun, nothing
> > really serious (he laughs)." He lists Taiwanese
> musician/singer
> > Jay Chou and operatic pop group Il Divo as his favorite
> performers.
> > Julia Roberts and Brad Pitt are his favorite actors,
> while Pretty Woman,
> > Seabiscuit and Gladiator are among his much-loved films.
> His local showbiz
> > crush is Heart Evangelista.
> >
> > Dreaming of becoming a UAAP player? Chris Tiu says: "Sports is
> > an important part of life, but it’s not all about
> sports. I believe
> > that it’s important to develop our selves holistically
> [in the
> > academic field, too]. Study well, be physically fit and
> focus on your
> > spiritual life—there must be a balance of everything.
> Love what
> > you do, motivate yourself to keep working hard. It’s up
> for us
> > to make the choices and live by these choices… but He
> has the final
> > say."