Smooth Conclusion to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd shouted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his appearance there.
An Intense Schedule Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a string of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the early hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he digitally presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Disastrous Kickoff 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 ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, many were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.
"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."
The ruckus, which grabbed international headlines, marred 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 Events in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians 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 acknowledging large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of Messi's Great Popularity in India
Messi's appeal is due to more than his long international career and broad 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 referred to as the beautiful game.
