Peaceful Finish to Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd chanted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.
An Intense Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a busy schedule in India, taking part in a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.
Chaotic Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after angry fans ripped up 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 countless ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence."
The unrest, 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 promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Peaceful Visits in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the international legend online and in press interactions.
Messi also encountered several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen greeting 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 left the country on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of His Great Appeal in India
Messi's appeal comes not only from his prolific international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
