Smooth End to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.
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 signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports stated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.
A Packed Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.
Before making his way 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.
Disastrous Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after disappointed fans tore seats and threw 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 forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."
The unrest, which captured international headlines, overshadowed 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 sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Smooth Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star 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 speculation 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 Appeal in India
Messi's popularity comes not only from his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
