Calm Conclusion to Messi's India Tour After Kolkata Chaos
Global football icon Lionel Messi has concluded his multi-day India tour in hazy Delhi, following a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentinian and Inter Miami forward.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami colleagues Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – booting balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been postponed due to fog, reports stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans vandalised a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
A Busy Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a hectic schedule in India, participating in a succession of promotional events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the early hours of Saturday.
Before traveling to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he virtually presented a 70ft (21m) statue of himself, assembled over 27 days by a 45-strong crew in the city in eastern India.
Troubled Beginning in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, started with a disastrous start after disappointed fans destroyed seats and flung 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 ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to attend the event.
However, the majority didn't even get to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his quick walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation grew violent.
"Poor management of a highly anticipated event, lack of co-ordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans – prevented from seeing of Messi – "vented their anger by engaging in violence."
The unrest, which made international headlines, marred Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been dubbed 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.
Smooth Engagements in Other Cities
Messi's appearances in Hyderabad and Mumbai went off without a hitch, with fans expressing their joy at seeing the world-famous star on social media and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several political figures 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 gatherings in stadiums and playing football with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister departed on Monday morning on a pre-arranged visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Vast Popularity 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.