Peaceful Finish to Lionel Messi's Visit to India After Unrest in Kolkata
Soccer legend Lionel Messi has finished his three-day India tour in hazy Delhi, in the wake of a disorderly opening in Kolkata.
On Monday, countless fans assembled in a Delhi stadium to see the Argentina and Inter Miami attacker.
As Messi, alongside Inter Miami teammates Luis SuĂĄrez and Rodrigo De Paul, walked onto the pitch â sending balls into the stands, playing with a group of children, and signing autographs â the crowd shouted his name.
His flight from Mumbai had been held up due to fog, local media stated, and his agenda had to be cut down. On Saturday, angry fans damaged a Kolkata stadium because they failed to see him during his visit there.
An Intense Agenda Spanning Multiple Cities
Messi had a packed schedule in India, participating in a series of marketing events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Mumbai since landing in the wee hours of Saturday.
Before making his way to Kolkata's Salt Lake Stadium later that day, he remotely presented a 21-meter statue of himself, built over 27 days by a 45-person crew in the eastern city.
Chaotic Start in Soccer-Mad Kolkata
The tour, however, got off to a disastrous start after frustrated fans tore seats and threw items towards the pitch at the stadium.
Football is extremely popular in West Bengal state â of which Kolkata is the capital â and countless ardent supporters had spent up to 12,000 rupees to witness the event.
However, many failed to see him as he was enveloped by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then rapidly taken away as the situation grew violent.
"Faulty planning of a much-publicized event, lack of co-ordination" and safety failures turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans â prevented from seeing of Messi â "released their frustration 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 event organiser in Kolkata has been taken into custody, police said, and a city court has sent Satadru Dutta to 14 days in police custody.
Smooth Visits in Other Cities
Messi's visits to Hyderabad and Mumbai passed off smoothly, with fans sharing their delight at seeing the world-famous star online and in media interviews.
Messi also had meetings with several political figures and celebrities â 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 acknowledging large fan assemblies in stadiums and playing football 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 scheduled visit to Jordan, Ethiopia, and Oman.
The Source of Messi's Immense Appeal in India
Messi's popularity comes not only from his lengthy international career and extensive TV coverage of European football â he's the all-time top scorer for Barcelona â but also the strong affinity that a huge number of Indians have with what is often known as the beautiful game.
