Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media indicated, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
A Packed Itinerary Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before making his way 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 Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of ardent supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation grew violent.
"Poor management of a hyped-up event, disorganization" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."
The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Smooth Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.
There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of His Immense Fame in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
