Peaceful End to Lionel Messi's India Tour Following Kolkata Chaos
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, frustrated fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his event there.
A Packed Itinerary Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a succession of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a troubled start after frustrated fans ripped up seats and hurled 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 spent up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.
"Inept organization of a highly anticipated 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 resorting to violence."
The disturbance, which grabbed international headlines, marred 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 arrested, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Successful Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon on social media 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 sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these meetings, Messi could be seen acknowledging large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of His Immense Fame in India
Messi's popularity is due to more than 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 called the beautiful game.
