Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.
An Intense Itinerary Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a troubled start after angry 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 devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.
"Inept organization of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."
The ruckus, which captured international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Successful Visits in Other Cities
Messi's appearances 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 had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings 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 departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Great Popularity in India
Messi's popularity comes not only from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
