Messi mayhem in Kolkata

Even moviegoers would not have waited for a big release on Friday like the youngsters and football fanatics of Kolkata did for Argentine football legend Lionel Messi. Months ago, Kerala went into glee after reports suggested that Messi might visit the southern state as part of his GOAT tour. However, the plan was retracted later.

Messi, who landed in India two days ago, visited Kolkata, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. Tens of thousands participated in the events, but things were far from perfect. The event arranged in the iconic Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata ended up in chaos. A private event was planned for the rich and famous to meet Messi and take photos, while another event was planned for the general public in Salt Lake. The problems started when those who attended the opulent private event with Messi decided to surround the superstar in Salt Lake, too.

The people who paid as much as Rs 10000 were deprived of even spotting the star on the ground. Many even expected to receive a wave from Messi, but what they got was a throng of rotund politicians and celebrities on the ground. Perturbed over the mismanagement, the crowd started throwing bottles and soon after, they invaded the ground.

We cannot forget the semi-final between India and Sri Lanka in the 1996 Cricket World Cup that had to be stopped, and the football match between Mohun Bagan and East Bengal that ended in street fighting. Bengalis' fervour for sports can be dangerous if it goes beyond limits.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had to apologise for the chaos in the Messi tour, and to save face, she even arrested the GOAT tour organiser, Satadru Dutta.

Fortunately, the security lapses in Kolkata were not repeated in Hyderabad, Mumbai and Delhi, where the event was later held. In Hyderabad, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Chief Minister Revanth Reddy came to meet Messi. Rahul, who moved back to allow the children to take photos with Messi, acted pragmatically to not create another Kolkata.

It is still a hope among football enthusiasts that Messi would return to India and play a friendly. It is expected that the match will be held in Kerala. The frenzy over such news is on agreeable lines, but make sure the organisers learn from the shambolic work in Kolkata. Such poor management is not just embarrassing for a player of the stature of Messi, but is also akin to belittling the nation.