Calm Finish to Messi's Visit to India After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd roared his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.
A Busy Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the early hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually unveiled a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Troubled Beginning in Football-Loving Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after disappointed fans tore seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is immensely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, most of them didn't even get 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 grew violent.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence."
The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Visits in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also met several political figures and celebrities – Bollywood star 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 greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football 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 pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Vast Appeal in India
Messi's fame stems not just from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
