Peaceful Finish to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting 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 reported, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his event there.
A Busy Schedule Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a series of promotional 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 revealed a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after disappointed fans tore 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 adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, the majority failed 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 grew violent.
"Poor management of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in 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 organizer in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Smooth Events in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.
Messi also met several political figures 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 dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of Messi's Immense Appeal in India
Messi's popularity stems not just 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 referred to as the beautiful game.