NATIONAL paddler Li Jiawei gave birth to a healthy baby boy on Tuesday morning, and already it has been decided that he will be a Singaporean, reported local news media.

The 28-year-old and husband Li Chao, 36, welcomed their first child, Tian Rui, at 9.22am.

Baby Li was delivered through Caesarean section at Thomson Medical Centre. He weighed in at 3.575kg and measured 51 centimeters in height.

His arrival came four days late as Jiawei was fearful of Caesarean section, reported Shin Min Daily.

The local evening paper also stated that she had very much hope for natural birth, but because the baby's head was too big, doctors recommended Caesarean section. The surgery was initially scheduled for last Friday.

Jiawei said in a The Straits Times report: "I was so nervous. Playing in the Olympics is nerve-wracking, but this was something else."

Li's husband, a Beijing businessman, flew into Singapore on Monday night from the Chinese capital for his son's arrival.

He told Shin Min Daily: "My son's head type is like mine. His face and lips are like Jia Wei's."

On his child's citizenship, Li Chao told local media that he and his wife have a good impression of Singapore. As Jiawei is a Singaporean citizen, the couple hopes for their child to be one too, according to that same report.

The father also felt Singapore's bilingual education system would be good for his son.

Shin Min Daily also reported that Jiawei will be on the home confinement for a month before bringing her newborn back home to Beijing.

She will resume training for the next Olympics in 2012 after her 4-month maternity leave.