Messi mania mishap: Govt announces refund for disappointed fans who paid up to ₹12,000 for ticket
Kolkata (The Uttam Hindu) : After the fans vandalized the Salt Lake Stadium after Argentine football legend Lionel Messi left during his visit to Kolkata, West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar has said that the fans' money will be refunded.
Rajiv Kumar said at the press conference, "The fans wanted Lionel Messi to come to the field and play. This was not part of a pre-planned plan. The plan was for him to simply come to the field, wave to the crowd, and leave. The fans were outraged because Messi did not play the match. The organizers have informed us in writing that the fans' money will be refunded."
He said the government has already formed a committee to look into all aspects, including whether there was any mismanagement or other issues on the part of the organizers. This will be investigated. Mamata Banerjee also appeared disappointed by the chaos created by fans after Lionel Messi left the stadium and blamed mismanagement for it.
Messi will be visiting four cities in three days until December 15th, having bought the ticket for 12,000 rupees.
These include Hyderabad, Mumbai, and New Delhi. One of Messi's fans expressed his anger over this incident. While talking to the media, he said, "I bought the ticket by paying 12,000 rupees. We came all the way from Darjeeling just for Messi. But we couldn't even get a glimpse of Messi. This kind of event is disappointing. People said that they came here with great expectations. However, they have been disappointed here."
Mamata Banerjee apologized to fans in a post on Instagram. She wrote, "I am deeply disturbed and shocked by the mismanagement that occurred at the Salt Lake Stadium today. I was on my way to the stadium to attend an event with thousands of sports lovers and fans. Fans had gathered to catch a glimpse of their favorite footballer, Lionel Messi. I sincerely apologize to Lionel Messi, his fans, and all sports lovers for this unfortunate incident."
The Chief Minister further wrote, "I am forming an inquiry committee headed by retired judge Ashim Kumar Ray, with the Chief Secretary and Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department as members. The committee will investigate this incident in detail, determine responsibility, and suggest measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Once again, I sincerely apologize to all sports lovers."
Legendary footballer Lionel Messi arrived in Kolkata on Saturday for the first leg of his three-day India tour. He had a performance at the Salt Lake Stadium. Thousands of fans waited for hours to catch a glimpse of Messi. Messi arrived at the stadium for just 10 minutes. The fans present there were unable to see him and after he left, they created a huge ruckus and vandalized the stadium.