Smooth Finish to Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata
Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.
An Intense Itinerary Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a massive statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.
"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging in violence."
The disturbance, which made international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Successful Events in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians 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 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 departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of His Great Fame in India
Messi's popularity stems not just from his long international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
