"On Monday, thousands of fans gathered in a Delhi stadium to get a glimpse of the Argentina and Inter Miami forward. As Messi, accompanied by Inter Miami teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, strolled the pitch - kicking balls into the stands, passing with a group of children and signing autographs - the crowd chanted his name. His flight to the Indian capital from Mumbai was delayed due to fog and poor visibility, local media reported, and his itinerary had to be trimmed."
"The tour, however, got off to an unfortunate start after angry 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 thousands of adoring supporters had paid up to 12,000 rupees (100; $133) to catch a glimpse of Messi. However, most of them couldn't even catch a glimpse of him as he was surrounded by officials and celebrities on his brief walk around the stadium and then quickly whisked away as the situation turned hostile."
"Kolkata's The Telegraph newspaper said in an editorial that "poor management of a hyped-up event, lack of coordination" and security lapses turned the stadium into a "battlefield", as fans - denied even a glimpse of Messi after he was ring-fenced by officials, celebrities and security - "vented their anger by indulging in violence"."
Lionel Messi concluded a three-day promotional visit to India, appearing at events in Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi. Thousands of fans crowded stadiums to see the Argentina and Inter Miami forward, with scenes including him kicking balls into stands, passing with children and signing autographs alongside teammates Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul. Weather delays from fog forced a trimmed itinerary and a delayed flight from Mumbai to Delhi. The Kolkata stop saw angry fans rip seats and throw items after many were prevented from seeing Messi, producing a ruckus described as a battlefield and raising questions about event management and security.
Read at www.bbc.com
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