Peaceful Finish to Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentina and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports stated, and his schedule had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
An Intense Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since touching down in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.
Disastrous Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after angry fans tore seats and hurled 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 paid up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation grew violent.
"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."
The unrest, which captured international headlines, overshadowed 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 detained, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Smooth Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the global icon on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also met several politicians and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend 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 speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Root of Messi's Vast Fame in India
Messi's appeal stems not just from his long international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
