RCB’s Tim David gives thumbs up to BBMP parks, ‘a Singapore in B’luru’

BENGALURU: Royal Challengers Bengaluru (

RCB

) batsman Tim David praised

BBMP parks

for offering accessible and functional fitness spaces to the public, drawing fresh attention to open-air gyms that have become a quiet but significant part of Bengaluru’s public infrastructure.
In a video posted on X by the official Royal Challengers Bengaluru handle @RCBTweets on Monday — now going viral — Tim revealed that his strength and conditioning coach, Basu Shanker, took him to a BBMP park one morning. There, the Singapore-born cricketer performed walking exercises, shoulder presses, and a full-body circuit using the park’s open-air gym equipment.

Impressed, he remarked: “It feels like there is a Singapore in Bengaluru that is at BBMP parks.”

Tim, who spent his early years in Singapore before moving to Australia, reflected on how free public fitness infrastructure shaped his development. “When I started at Singapore, there was so much good exercise equipment. I got big and I got strong…Basu, our strength and conditioning trainer, took me down to the BBMP park this morning…. I do my exercises… the walking, the shoulder press…”
Encouraging young aspirants, he said: “Children, the important thing — if you want to be a big power hitter, big and strong — get down to the BBMP park.”
While some of the equipment shows signs of age and rust, especially in older parks, the open-air gyms remain a favourite among senior citizens and early risers for being a cost-free and convenient alternative to commercial gyms.
V Ramaswamy, a 72-year-old retired LIC officer who frequently visits 21st Cross Rd, Jaya Nagar 1st Block park, said, “I’ve been coming here every morning for over five years. The equipment may not be fancy, but it helps keep us moving. I do shoulder rotations and leg presses — no need for a gym membership.”
Seconding him was Saroji Ramkumar Iyengar, a homemaker who frequently visits the Malleswaram park: “I had a knee problem once, and the walking bars here really helped with my recovery. Now my grandson also joins me. If a cricketer like Tim David is using it, maybe more youngsters will take this seriously.”
“We often joke this is our five-star gym with zero fees,” said Narayan Setty, 75, a retired govt employee from Banashankari. “The only thing we need is better maintenance — sometimes the bolts get loose or handles break.”