Chris Tiu coaches youth in finding 'true love'

MANILA, Philippines - Basketball star Chris Tiu, who has been with his first and only girlfriend for 11 years, confessed in a recently uploaded YouTube video that lasting relationships involve "waiting and sacrificing."

Tiu, who is also a businessman, television host, and product endorser at 28, said he still believes in practicing chastity even in romantic love.

"When you're young, you tend to rationalize that having sex is a real manifestation of love, which is untrue. Having sex when you're not married is something superficial and fleeting and it's not going to give you lasting happiness that you long for in a relationship," Tiu said in a video produced by the inter-campus youth organization Live Pure Movement.

The 6'0" guard for PBA's Rain or Shine Elasto Painters added, however, that being chaste "is not easy" and compared it to training and conditioning in sports.

"I'm not perfect myself and I'm human just like everybody else. That's going to be a struggle, just like in sports, the spiritual life needs training, you need to condition yourself like in basketball ... it requires certain steps and practices," Tiu, a Roman Catholic, admitted.

Tiu said in a previous interview that he plans to get married before he reaches the age of 30, but that he and his girlfriend have to "play it by ear."

"If you guys want to experience real freedom, total happiness and true love, (you have to) live pure," he concluded his video message.

The video has earned generally positive comments, expressing gratefulness for Tiu's words.

@chris_tiu on chastity... a good point of view in life worth it to share :) tnx for d inspiring message... youtube.com/watch?v=kb18fv…

— em adriano (@zhoe18) February 7, 2013

"Chris Tiu on chastity. A good point of view in life worth it to share. Thanks for the inspiring message," high school student Em Adriano commented on Twitter, addressing it to the athlete (@chris_tiu).