Peaceful Conclusion to Lionel Messi's Visit to India In the Wake of Unrest in Kolkata
Football superstar Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in pollution-choked Delhi, following a chaotic opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to catch a sight of the Argentinian and Inter Miami striker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami team-mates Luis Suárez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch – kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children, and giving signatures – the crowd roared his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media indicated, and his agenda had to be shortened. On Saturday, disappointed fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they were unable to view him during his appearance there.
An Intense Agenda Across Several Metropolises
Messi had a busy schedule in India, participating in a succession of marketing 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 remotely unveiled a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the city in eastern India.
Chaotic Kickoff in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a chaotic start after disappointed fans tore seats and hurled items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state – of which Kolkata is the capital – and thousands of ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to be at the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was accompanied by officials and celebrities on his short walk around the stadium and then hurriedly escorted away as the situation became tense.
"Poor management of a hyped-up event, disorganization" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "scene of chaos", as fans – denied even a glimpse of Messi – "vented their anger by resorting to violence."
The disturbance, which made international headlines, overshadowed Messi's first visit to India since 2011 for what has been termed a 'GOAT [greatest of all time] tour'.
The promoter in Kolkata has been detained, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in detention.
Peaceful Events in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai concluded peacefully, 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 – film actor 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 greeting large fan crowds in stadiums and juggling the ball with groups of children.
There were speculation earlier that Messi would have a meeting with Narendra Modi in Delhi, but the Indian prime minister left the country on Monday morning on a scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Root of Messi's Great Popularity in India
Messi's fame comes not only from his lengthy international career and broad TV coverage of European football – he's the highest goal-getter for Barcelona – but also the deep bond that millions of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.