FOLLOWING a six-month whirlwind romance, Li Jiawei is set to tie
the knot.
The China-born Singaporean table tennis star registered her
marriage with a Beijing-based businessman in the Chinese capital
last Friday.
The news was a surprise to many, coming so soon after Li and
national badminton player Ronald Susilo called off their engagement
in January.
The Sunday Times understands that Li's new love interest is in
his mid-30s and shares her surname.
Li, who led the women's table tennis team to Singapore's first
Olympic medal in 48 years two months ago, told the media from
Beijing: 'I'm delighted and feel very blessed.
'But this doesn't count as a real marriage yet, it's just an
engagement. Only when we have had a proper banquet will it count.
This won't come so soon though, because I have several competitions
coming up and I will focus on them first.'
Sources said Li was initially drawn to the fact that the
businessman shares her surname after they were introduced by a
mutual friend in March.
She had long wished that her children would also carry her
surname. She had even toyed with the idea of having one child bear
her surname and another carry her husband's.
Getting hitched to the businessman will present the perfect
scenario.
Her engagement also completes an amazing turnaround for the
27-year-old after a turbulent couple of months.
After breaking up with Susilo, 29, in January, the former golden
couple of Singapore sports were embroiled in an ugly spat which has
since been settled out of court.
