Calm End to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata
Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports reported, and his itinerary had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.
A Busy Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a succession of marketing 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 digitally revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.
Chaotic Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans destroyed seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless ardent supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, most of them failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation turned hostile.
"Poor management of a hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by engaging in violence."
The ruckus, which captured international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Smooth Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in press interactions.
Messi also had meetings with 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 engagements, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling 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 scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Great Appeal in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
