Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans gathered 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, entered the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, sources reported, and his agenda had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there.
A Busy Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a packed schedule in India, attending a succession 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 digitally unveiled a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after frustrated fans ripped up seats and flung items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of devoted supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, most of them failed to see him as he was accompanied 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 hyped-up event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence."
The disturbance, which grabbed international headlines, cast a shadow over 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 taken into custody, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Successful Visits in Other Cities
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.
Messi also met several political figures 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 interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of His Vast Fame in India
Messi's appeal stems not just from his lengthy international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that countless Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
