Peaceful Finish to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Football superstar Lionel Messi has concluded his three-day India tour in smog-filled Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans congregated in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – sending balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and signing autographs – the crowd shouted his name.
His aircraft from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports reported, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, disappointed fans wrecked a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his appearance there.
An Intense Schedule Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, attending a string of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since arriving in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before heading to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually revealed a massive statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the eastern city.
Troubled Beginning in Football-Crazy Kolkata
The tour, however, began with a disastrous start after disappointed fans ripped up seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is hugely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and countless devoted supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation grew violent.
"Faulty planning of a hyped-up event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "released their frustration by engaging in violence."
The unrest, which captured international headlines, cast a shadow over Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been called a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The organizer in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Smooth Visits in Hyderabad and Mumbai
Messi's events in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the global icon online and in press interactions.
Messi also encountered several political figures 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 interactions, Messi could be seen waving to large fan crowds in stadiums and dribbling the ball with groups of children.
There were rumors earlier that Messi would meet Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a planned visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Great Appeal in India
Messi's appeal comes not only from his long international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the record scorer for Barcelona – but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often called the beautiful game.