Peaceful End to Lionel Messi's India Tour In the Wake of Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a turbulent opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, joined by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled on the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media stated, and his itinerary had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his event there.
A Packed Itinerary Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a series of promotional 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 virtually revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a chaotic start after frustrated fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless adoring supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, most of them didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.
"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence."
The disturbance, 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 organizer in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Successful Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, with fans showing their happiness at seeing the world-famous star online and in press interactions.
Messi also had meetings with several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star 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 waving to large fan crowds 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 scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of Messi's Great Popularity in India
Messi's popularity is due to more than his prolific international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
