Peaceful Finish to Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata
Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His plane from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media reported, and his schedule had to be trimmed. On Saturday, frustrated fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
An Intense Itinerary Spanning Several Metropolises
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a succession of marketing 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 remotely presented a massive statue of himself, constructed over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.
Chaotic Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated 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 thousands of ardent supporters had forked out up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, the majority were unable to catch a glimpse of him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation grew violent.
"Inept organization of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "war zone", as fans – not allowed even a sight of Messi – "vented their anger by indulging in violence."
The disturbance, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over 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 sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Engagements in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions.
Messi also encountered several politicians and celebrities – Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan in Kolkata, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi in Hyderabad, and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai.
In between these engagements, Messi could be seen waving to large fan assemblies in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister traveled abroad on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Reason of His Immense Popularity in India
Messi's popularity stems not just from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.