Peaceful Finish to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been delayed due to fog, local media stated, and his itinerary had to be shortened. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
A Busy Itinerary Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Troubled Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a chaotic start after disappointed fans destroyed 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 thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.
"Faulty planning of a highly anticipated event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."
The ruckus, which made international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Successful Engagements in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.
Messi also encountered 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 engagements, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were reports earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of His Immense 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 deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
