Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media stated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
A Busy Agenda Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.
Disastrous Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after frustrated fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by indulging in violence."
The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed 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 detention.
Peaceful Engagements in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.
Messi also met several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of Messi's Vast Appeal in India
Messi's fame is due to more than his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
