Calm Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata
Football superstar Lionel Messi has wrapped up his multi-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, after a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd chanted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, reports reported, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, angry fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they didn't get to see him during his visit there.
An Intense Itinerary Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, taking part in a string of brand 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 digitally revealed a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.
Disastrous Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after angry fans destroyed seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and a multitude of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees to attend 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 rapidly taken away as the situation became tense.
"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "expressed their fury by resorting to violence."
The disturbance, which captured international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The event organiser in Kolkata has been arrested, police said, and a city court has ordered Satadru Dutta to 14 days in custody.
Successful Engagements in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon online and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities – film actor Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and sporting icon Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these interactions, Messi could be seen greeting large fan assemblies in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of His Immense Popularity in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the emotional connection that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.
