Lionel Messi GOAT India Tour Day One Ends With Smooth Hyderabad Leg, But What Went Wrong With Salt Lake Stadium?

Day One of Lionel Messi’s much awaited GOAT India Tour officially finished with the two host cities telling different stories. Hyderabad gave a relatively hassle free and well organized part of the tour, whereas events happening around Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium raised uncomfortable questions for fans, organizers, and the authorities. The king of the world football, together with the likes of Luis Suarez and Rodrigo De Paul, was a trigger of great excitement all over India, but on the other hand, it also made planning and controlling crowds mistakes in the spotlight which sometimes threatened to overshadow the historic occasion.

Lionel Messi In Hyderabad

Hyderabad was the main event due to its neat and orderly execution. The whole event starting from the airport to the fan interactions was the local authorities and organizers who seemed to be much more prepared for the scale of Messi’s popularity. The security measures were very strict, the entrance was limited, and communication with the fans was more or less consistent throughout the day. The city managed to treat the situation with great care and attention and was thus able to keep all the appearances and engagements going without causing a major disruption. Many people saw Hyderabad as an example of how Indians can deal precisely with high profile global sporting events.

Lionel Messi In Kolkata

Kolkata, in contrast, narrated a whole different story. The Salt Lake Stadium, an iconic venue for Indian football, turned out to be the biggest issue when the problems of excess people, lack of proper communication, and transport and accommodation started to occur. Thousands of fans frantically trying to catch the glimpse of the star player, were calmed only by the chaos created by the reports of bottlenecking at the entrances, confusion over the tickets issue, and lack of proper measures for crowd control. The astonishingly high number of people wanting to see Messi was virtually out of control in terms of the arrangements and even the authorities had to step in and alter the security measures due to the tense situation created by the overcrowding issue.

How Did Hyderabad Pull Off Something Kolkata Couldn’t?

There were a number of factors responsible for the Salt Lake Stadium incident to reach an extremely difficult state. The anticipated attendance was probably slightly exaggerated, especially since it was to be Messi’s first important public appearance in that region. In addition, some people pointed to poor coordination and communication among the event’s organizers, the municipality, and the police as the factors that led to the decision being slow, although it was actually very quick. Furthermore, lack of clear and timely information about the program and the entry points caused doubts to rise among the fans who had come from far off places. There were no reports of serious injuries, but the chaos was very perceptible and it stood in stark contrast to the tour’s objective of being a celebration.

At the end of the first day, the GOAT India Tour was still going on as planned, but the happenings in Kolkata were a warning. The very fact that Messi was there at the same time as Indian football made its way to the global stage, and at the same time it was, however, one of the major factors that very strongly pointed out the need for a proper and thorough planning in the case of the coming and going of such big stars. The tour’s success in the future not only has to do with Messi’s magic but also with the host cities’ ability to align the moment with proper preparation, safety, and accountability.

Also Read: History Repeats In Kolkata Today As Lionel Messi’s Messy Visit Recalls Pele Era Drama

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