Smooth Finish to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Unrest in Kolkata
Global football icon Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, sources indicated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.
A Busy Schedule Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a busy schedule in India, attending a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.
Troubled Kickoff in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a chaotic 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 thousands of devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.
"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by indulging in violence."
The unrest, which grabbed 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 ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Smooth Visits in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star 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 interactions, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.
There were rumors 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 Vast Fame in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that countless Indians have with what is often referred to as the beautiful game.
