Lionel Messi’s tour of India kicked off on a chaotic notice on Saturday as followers ripped up seats and threw them on to the pitch after the Argentina and Inter Miami ahead’s transient go to to the Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata, the ANI information company reported.
Messi is in India as a part of a tour throughout which he’s scheduled to attend live shows, youth soccer clinics, a padel event and launch charitable initiatives at occasions in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi.
In response to stories in Indian media, the 2022 World Cup winner walked across the pitch on the stadium waving to the followers, however was intently surrounded by a big group of individuals and left 20 minutes after his arrival.
Video from ANI confirmed followers throwing ripped up stadium seats and different objects on to the sector and the athletics observe on the website, with a number of those that had climbed over a fence surrounding the taking part in subject hurling objects.
“Solely leaders and actors had been surrounding Messi … Why did they name us then?” A fan on the stadium instructed ANI. “We’ve got received a ticket for 12,000 rupees [£100], however we weren’t even capable of see his face.”
The chief minister of West Bengal state, Mamata Banerjee, apologised to Messi and ordered a probe into the incident. “I’m deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement witnessed as we speak at Salt Lake Stadium,” Banerjee, who was on her option to the occasion when chaos broke out, posted on X.
“I sincerely apologise to Lionel Messi, in addition to to all sports activities lovers and his followers, for the unlucky incident. I’m constituting an enquiry committee … the committee will conduct an in depth enquiry into the incident, repair duty, and advocate measures to forestall such occurrences sooner or later.”
West Bengal, Kerala and Goa states have lengthy had massive soccer fanbases in an in any other case cricket-dominated India. Diego Maradona twice visited Kolkata and in 2017 unveiled a statue of himself holding the World Cup, within the presence of hundreds of followers.
Messi, who performed in a pleasant match on the Salt Lake Stadium in 2011 during which Argentina defeated Venezuela 1-0, just about unveiled a 70-foot statue of himself in Kolkata on Saturday.
Leave a Reply