Peaceful Finish to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, a multitude of fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, entered the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, sources stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his visit there.
A Packed Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, taking part in a series of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the pre-dawn of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a large crew in the city in eastern India.
Troubled Start in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a troubled start after disappointed fans destroyed 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 adoring supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, most of them were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation became tense.
"Poor management of a much-publicized event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "released their frustration by resorting to violence."
The unrest, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has remanded Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Successful Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the international legend online and in media interviews.
Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, political figure Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these meetings, Messi could be seen greeting large fan gatherings in stadiums and juggling 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 traveled abroad on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of His Vast Popularity in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his long international career and wide TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
