Peaceful End to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports reported, and his schedule had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.
An Intense Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a troubled start after disappointed fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was surrounded 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 much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."
The disturbance, which captured international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The event organiser in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Successful Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the international legend on social media and in press interactions.
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 interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan gatherings in stadiums and playing football 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 pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Root of Messi's Great Popularity in India
Messi's fame stems not just from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
