Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.
An Intense Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a 21-meter statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.
Disastrous Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after frustrated fans tore 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 ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, most of them failed to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation became tense.
"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by indulging in violence."
The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Visits in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.
Messi also encountered 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 interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a pre-arranged 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 broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
