Calm Conclusion to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following 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 teammates 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 chanted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.
An Intense Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.
Troubled Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a troubled start after angry 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 thousands of devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.
"Poor management of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."
The unrest, which captured 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 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 Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's appearances in 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 politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan assemblies 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of Messi's Great Appeal in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that countless Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
