Susilo's home and has a surprise waiting for Jiawei By Marc Lim TheStraitsTimes LI JIAWEI may have surprised a nation by upsetting defending champion Wang Nan en route to finishing fourth at the Athens Olympics but, when the table tennis star returns home next week, she will be in for a surprise: from beau Ronald Susilo. Shuttler Susilo, who also flirted with Olympic glory when he beat world No 1 Lin Dan before bowing out in the quarter-finals, returned to Singapore at 6am yesterday to a hero's welcome, along with team-mates Li Li and Jiang Yanmei. More than 100 well-wishers showed up. After about 30 minutes of entertaining autograph and photo requests, as well as speaking to Minister in the Prime Minister's Office Lim Swee Say and Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports Vivian Balakrishnan, Susilo spoke of his girlfriend of two years. 'When she comes back, she'll be in for a surprise,' Susilo told Timesport when he finally had a chance to catch a breather. What surprise? Quipped Susilo: 'If I tell you, then it won't be a surprise, right?' Would it have anything to do with the diamond ring she was wearing in Athens? A birthday gift for the National Day-born Li? Or more? Said Susilo: 'No lah, that ring is almost a year old. It was not even a birthday gift. All I gave her was a kiss because she already has everything!' Yet, for the couple, who bought an apartment in Kembangan, an Olympic medal would have been an ideal gift for their Athens heroics - which is why both Susilo and Li are so disappointed that they have nothing to show for their time there. He said: 'It's a pity but there's always the future to look forward to. Even for Jiawei. She was so distraught after her loss. 'But I told her that the best is yet to be. You can be disappointed but you must go on.' Indeed, there were only smiles yesterday. Said Mr Lim, who is also president of the Singapore Badminton Association and the Second Minister for National Development: 'Even though our athletes did not come back with medals, Ronald and Jiawei have shown that we can beat the best in the world. 'For so long, there was this mental block when we faced top players. They have shown us that they can be beaten so, on the whole, I think it is a great success.' Added Dr Balakrishnan: 'They have done us proud and I am very happy to see them back, cheerful, with wide smiles. This is a happy occasion, a homecoming.'
Guess how Ronald will go about making his surprise proposal, if this is really the case. On an aside, Ronald and Jiawei have already bought an apartment. Just as what Boonsak was rewarded with Bht1 million, I think this couple deserves som cash incentives to help them defray the cost of renovating and furnishing their apartment. Jiawei, who qualified for the QF deserves it more, I feel!
Ronald is such a romantic guy, i hope Jiawei didn't get the "wind" on it before she gets home otherwise it would really spoil the surprise. or if Jiawei saw the news and expecting a proposal and it turns out Ronald wasn't planning to propose, then it will really be a surprise. a surprise to Ronald, that is !
It's a proposal. He shouldn't have even hinted of that secret. Oh no... But if indeed it is a proposal, ayuh! Married, after Kwun. You beat it to him, dude.
Ronald: I have a surprise for you darling.. JiaWei: Oh what could it be? Ronald: JiaWei, you know how much you mean to me? JiaWei: Uh huh Ronald: Well, I wanted to tell you for a long time... JiaWei: Yes, go on... Ronald: JiaWei....I was born a woman ! JiaWei: Hang on dear, I want to tell you something.. Ronald: I know you will hate me forever.. JiaWei: Ronald, it's OK I understand. Ronald: You'll never understand the burden JiaWei: It's OK..I was once a man too! Ronald: :crying: Ronald: Then maybe we could still be together and have lots of kids together!..Let's get married? JiaWei: Yes Ronald! I do I do!
If it is a surprise, Ronald should not have said anything. After JaiWei read the report, she would expect at least a proposal, anything less than that will make JiaWei disappointed and Ronald will be in trouble.
hahaha i totally agree with you. if she's getting something else other than what she's expecting (and all worked up about it as well) prepare for a ton of bricks Ronald! you better have something really good up your sleaves man!
I was thinking a 'proposal' maybe too ordinary since they both already committed to an apartment and someone said Jiawei was wearing a diamond ring during her televised matches. If Ronald is daring enough, he should say "Let's get married!". Some may equate this to a proposal, but I think there is a difference. But still this may be an anti-climax, not a surprise. Ronald may already be thinking of the 5 C's. I'm sure they have Cash, Credit Card, now a Condo - which means to other C's are still missing. Either a Country Club or a Car. The dashing Ronald may well be thinking of a Sports Car to surprise Jiawei. But I'm not sure whether both of them have passed their driving. What do you think?
There might be a banner saying "Will you marry me?!" appearing in Changi airport next Tues to welcome LJW back.....
lol i juz read the newspaper... ronald really proposed to li jiawei ! haha guess wat.. she agreed wooot
Imagine.. both are from different countries come together and settle down in a a foreign country which they serve their olympic and sport duties.
THE STRAITS TIMES S'pore Olympians Susilo and Jiawei to tie knot By Pamela Tan SUSILO has delivered on a promise he made to surprise his girlfriend Li Jiawei on her return from Athens on Tuesday. The shuttler proposed marriage in a private moment at around 10 am on Tuesday, and the demure champion paddler said yes. Advertisement Jiawei arrived home in Singapore early on Tuesday and was promptly mobbed by fans at the airport. It was only later in the morning that the couple could find time to be together. They became an item after the Manchester Games in July 2002 when he asked for her number through his badminton team mate, Li Li. When asked if they were getting married a year later, at the 2003 Singapore Sports Awards night, Susilo had quipped: 'Not for now. Not yet.' That was the night Jiawei was crowned Singapore Sportswoman of the Year for the second time, while he picked up the Meritorious award for making it to the final of Singapore Open. Susilo and Jiawei are fresh from their turns in Athens, where both momentarily gave Singapore medal hopes. He beat the world No 1 Lin Dan in the badminton's men's singles round of 32 before beating Germany's Bjoern Joppien to book himself a quarter-final berth. He bowed out of the competition after a straight-set loss of 10-15, 1-15 to Thailand's Boonsak Ponsana in the quarter-finals. Jiawei brought Singapore to within a whisker of the table tennis women's singles bronze medal when she beat world No 2 Wang Nan in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, she led 3 sets to 1 against North Korean Kim Hyang Mi before losing 3-4. Jiawei lost 11-9, 8-11, 7-11, 5-11, 8-11 to South Korean Kim Kyung Ah in the bronze-medal match. Singaporeans - even those who don't usually follow badminton or table tennis - tuned in to watch them play during the Athens games. And although they returned without medals, they are heroes for the effort and fight that they put up. The last time Singapore won an Olympic medal was in the Rome games in 1960, when weightlifter Tan Howe Liang won the silver medal in his class.