Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, alongside 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 flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.
An Intense Agenda Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city.
Troubled Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a troubled start after angry fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of ardent supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence."
The disturbance, 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 event organiser in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Successful Events in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, 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 – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan crowds in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Root of His Great Fame in India
Messi's fame is due to more than his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
