by Rey C. Lachica
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Former Rain or Shine star guard Chris Tiu is indeed enjoying his retirement.
An original member of Gilas Pilipinas that once played in the final of the Dubai International Basketball Championship here, Tiu arrived Friday in this ultra-modern capital city just in time for the game of Mighty Sports.
He did not play, of course.
Along with some friends from Xavier School, Tiu smiled and waved to acknowledge the greetings of his fans – young and old – as they looked for their seats inside the Shabal Al Ahli Club.
He came here not only to support Mighty Sports – co-owned by Alex and Caesar Wongchuking – but also to provide moral support to younger brother – Charles Tiu who is calling the shots for the team.
Like some 2,000 Filipino migrants who came to watch the game, the older Tiu was satisfied and happy the team hurdled its first assignment.
“Nice game, hope they can sustain their hot start,” said Tiu moments after the game.
Despite the team’s lopsided 87-58 win over American University in Dubai, Tiu warned his brother not to be complacent knowing very well how competitive the tournament is.
Tiu was also part of the team that only produced one win in seven games two years ago.
