Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, following a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis SuΓ‘rez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch β kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures β the crowd shouted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, local media indicated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, disappointed fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
A Packed Itinerary Across Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a succession of brand events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after angry fans ripped up seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state β of which Kolkata is the capital β and a multitude of devoted supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile.
"Inept organization of a much-publicized event, poor coordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans β not allowed even a sight of Messi β "released their frustration by resorting to violence."
The unrest, which grabbed international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Smooth Engagements in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities β 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 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 departed on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Immense Fame in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and broad TV coverage of European football β he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona β but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
