Mumbai: Argentina’s great footballer and World Cup winner Lionel Messi has once again stepped on Indian soil. This visit of Messi, who came to India after almost 14 years, is no less than a festival for his fans. Messi reached India on the morning of Saturday, December 13 and started his four-city tour from Kolkata. This special journey has been named ‘GOAT Tour of India’, the objective of which is to inspire sports, social service and young players.
Great welcome in Kolkata
As soon as Messi reached India, thousands of fans gathered in Kolkata to welcome him. Slogans of Messi-Messi were heard everywhere from the airport to the venue. During this, Messi virtually unveiled his 70 feet high statue, which was a special attraction for his fans.
However, poor arrangements of the event spoiled the happiness of the fans. According to the schedule, Messi was supposed to spend more time among the fans, but due to chaos and security reasons, he could stay only for 20 minutes. Angered by this, fans also protested outside the Salt Lake Stadium. Dissatisfaction regarding the event was also seen on social media.
Day 2: Confluence of sports and glamor in Mumbai
On December 14, Messi reached Mumbai, where his programs were even more special. A fashion show, coaching clinic and paddle match with cricket stars were organized for charity at the Cricket Club of India (CCI). According to sources, Sachin Tendulkar himself can be seen with Messi in this paddle match.
Apart from this, Rohit Sharma and Mahendra Singh Dhoni are also likely to attend the program. There is talk of participation of big Bollywood stars like John Abraham, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Jackie Shroff in the fashion show. This entire program will last for about 45 minutes. The special thing is that some memorabilia related to Messi’s Qatar 2022 World Cup will also be auctioned, the amount of which will be given to charity. After this a special function will be organized at Wankhede Stadium.
Day 3: Honors and meetings in Delhi
On December 15, Messi’s GOAT Tour will reach its final leg in New Delhi. A special program has been organized here at Arun Jaitley Stadium. During this time, Messi also plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In this program, Minerva Academy will be honored, which has brought laurels to the country by winning three European Youth Trophies this year. Along with this, a special coaching program will also be organized in the capital for children and young players, so that the coming generation can get inspiration from legends like Messi.
GOAT Tour of India organized
This entire tour is being organized by the sports promotion company ‘A Satadru Dutta Initiative’ (ASDI). This initiative is of Kolkata’s Satadru Dutta, who has already brought great players like Diego Maradona, Pele, Cafu and Emiliano Martinez to India.
The ticket price in Kolkata was kept from Rs 4,366 to Rs 11,800. Most of the Mumbai tickets have been sold out, with prices ranging between Rs 8,850 and Rs 14,750. Tickets in Hyderabad ranged from Rs 2,250 to Rs 30,000, while passes in Delhi are available for Rs 4,720 to Rs 5,900.
It is noteworthy that before this, Messi had come to India with Argentina team in 2011. In such a situation, this tour is not only special for the fans, but is also proving to be a memorable moment for Indian sports culture.
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