Smooth End to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, sources stated, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.
A Busy Agenda Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, most of them failed to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.
"Poor management of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."
The ruckus, which captured international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Successful Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in press interactions.
Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of His Vast Fame in India
Messi's fame stems not just from his long international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
