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'Can Aby your boyfriend?': How Robert Bolick won Aby Maraño's heart

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Anton Roxas, ABS-CBN Sports

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/08/08/20180808_bolick-marano.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Robert Bolick and Aby Maraño. Josh Albelda, <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/sportslifestyle/photos">ABS-CBN Sports</a></figcaption></figure></div>Aby Maraño is everything you want in an athlete. She’s strong, driven and passionate about her sport. So, when basketball player Robert Bolick saw her play volleyball for the first time he saw himself.The only difference was she was a three-time champion, two-time MVP and team captain, while he was merely a rookie and a bench warmer.Robert was also three years younger than her.Aby was way out of his league, it seemed.But this young man was no loser. He was determined to shoot his shot and find some way to win her heart.His first move was to ask for a little favor from his former teammate, LA Revilla, who was the starting point guard of the De La Salle University (DLSU) men’s basketball team at the time. Robert needed LA to find out whether Aby had a boyfriend. Like he usually does on the hardcourt, LA delivered an assist to Robert in form of good news - Aby was single.Now, that Robert knew that his target was open, all he had to do was take a shot. And he took it at the most unexpected of moments.They were inside the school bus on the way back to DLSU after a Green Archers game in the UAAP. Aby, who was undergoing her on-the-job training with ABS-CBN Sports, the official broadcast partner of the league, hitched a ride with the team. There was a lot of joking among his teammates, but all Robert could think of was the soothing smell of Aby’s hair as he was seated right behind her. It was at that moment when Robert decided to crack a joke of his own.“Oy, pre! Makinig kayong lahat!” announced Robert before motioning towards Aby.“Aby ka ba? Can Aby your boyfriend?”The entire bus erupted. It was as if they were back inside the MOA Arena where fans where screaming their lungs out. Robert looked at Aby’s face and sensed a positive reaction to his sudden revelation. “Ay. Parang kinilig ah,” he thought.As soon as they got off the bus, Robert and Aby shared their first dinner. When it was time to go home, Robert reminded Aby to take care and that they should continue communicating.“Text, text na lang tayo! Text mo ako ha,” he told her.“Paano kita ite-text? Wala naman akong number mo,” she replied.Little did Aby know that Robert didn’t ask for her number directly to avoid getting “busted.”His game plan worked as they started talking and spending time with each other more often. Upon Aby’s advice, Robert even asked her coach, the multi-titled Ramil de Jesus for permission to court her. Although Robert admitted that he was intimidated at first, he knew that he had no choice but to ask for Coach Ramil’s blessing to ensure a smooth passage to Aby’s heart.“Para sa akin naman, wala namang dapat katakutan pag alam mo na gusto mo talaga. Gusto ko naman si Aby eh.”On Wednesday, August 8, Robert and Aby are celebrating their fifth year anniversary together. A lot has happened in their lives since then. Robert has transformed himself into an accomplished athlete like Aby, winning three championships (one UAAP title with La Salle, two NCAA titles with San Beda), a PBA D-League championship and MVP award among many accolades. They both have also become national team athletes as Robert was included in the “23 for 23” Gilas Pilipinas roster for the 2023 FIBA World Cup while Aby was named captain of the Philippine women’s volleyball team.“Hindi niya ako minahal dahil magaling ako mag-basketball. Minahal nga niya ako na bangko pa lang ako,” said Robert as he reminisced about everything he has been through with Aby throughout the past five years.While watching their careers blossom, following their love story is equally entertaining. The two are very open with regards to how they feel about each other. Aby even proudly declared during an interview on “Down the Line” that she would agree to marry Robert if ever he proposed to her.<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">We greet <a href="https://twitter.com/BabesBolick?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BabesBolick</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/Abymarano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Abymarano</a> a Happy Anniversary! We throw it back to an episode of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DownTheLinePH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DownTheLinePH</a> when <a href="https://twitter.com/MrPureBusiness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MrPureBusiness</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/denniselazaro?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@denniselazaro</a> asked about Robert popping the big question to Tyang Aby! <a href="https://t.co/NFGitS4TKE">pic.twitter.com/NFGitS4TKE</a>— ABS-CBN Sports (@abscbnsports) <a href="https://twitter.com/abscbnsports/status/1027037404593512449?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 8, 2018</a></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script></div>Despite Robert and Aby being just 22 and 25 years old respectively, marriage has been a topic of conversation between the couple.“Sinasabi na nga niya sa akin na gusto niya na ‘Maraño-Bolick’ &#x27;pag naglalaro siya,” revealed Robert. “Sabi ko naman sa kanya, ‘Take time lang. Total, five years na tayo magkasama. &#x27;Di naman natin kailangan madaliin &#x27;yan. Focus ka lang muna sa kung saan ka ngayon. Eventually, &#x27;pag nag-propose na ako, gusto ko &#x27;yung ready ka na magka-anak.’”One of Robert’s biggest dreams in life is to be able to play with his future kids as a young father, preferably in his 20s.“Dream ko talaga na while naglalaro ako, makakalaro ko &#x27;yung anak ko,” said Robert. “Kung magka-lalaki man lang ako, whatever na sport ang gusto niya, makakalaro ko man lang siya. Makaka-takbo-takbo man lang ako.”“Sabi ko kay Aby, ‘Tell me &#x27;pag ready ka na.’”Only God knows what the future holds for these college sweethearts. But, right now, the King Lion and Tyang Aby are living their best lives.This story was originally published on the <a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/sportslifestyle/news/2018/08/08/how-robert-bolick-won-aby-marano-s-heart-45430">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

On Wednesday, August 8, Robert Bolick and Aby Maraño are celebrating their fifth year anniversary together.

On Wednesday, August 8, Robert Bolick and Aby Maraño are celebrating their fifth year anniversary together.

'Can Aby your boyfriend?': How Robert Bolick won Aby Maraño's heart

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'Can Aby your boyfriend?': How Robert Bolick won Aby Maraño's heart

Anton Roxas,

ABS-CBN Sports

Published August 08, 2018 04:49 PM PHT

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Updated August 08, 2018 05:14 PM PHT

Read More:

Robert Bolick

Aby Maraño

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