Smooth End to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Unrest in Kolkata
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, after a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
An Intense Agenda Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the eastern city.
Chaotic Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry fans destroyed seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.
"Faulty planning 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 indulging in violence."
The disturbance, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Successful Engagements in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also encountered several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball 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 Appeal in India
Messi's popularity is due to more than his long 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 referred to as the beautiful game.