New Delhi: Twenty-four-year-old Alben has been following Lionel Messi’s movements for the past several hours. He reached Delhi airport at 11 pm on Sunday, hoping to catch a glimpse of the football icon, but returned disappointed at 5 am on Monday after Messi’s flight was delayed.
Later in the day, Alben stood outside the Arun Jaitley Stadium, waiting to see the football superstar before heading inside. “I just want to catch a glimpse of him, it would make my day,” Alben told ThePrint as he waited outside Gate 3 with his camera. “I’ll see him here and then go inside. I’m completely overwhelmed. It’s a dream come true.”
The final leg of Lionel Messi’s three-day GOAT Tour concludes Monday in Delhi. Messi was scheduled to arrive from Mumbai earlier in the morning, but dense fog disrupted flight operations at Indira Gandhi International Airport.
The World Cup-winning footballer was in Mumbai on Sunday evening, where he posed with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar along with several Bollywood celebrities and politicians. Prior to Mumbai, Messi made similar appearances in Hyderabad and Kolkata.
The Kolkata leg of the tour witnessed chaotic scenes, with disappointed fans vandalising seats and storming the pitch at Salt Lake Stadium after failing to see the football superstar, who was closely surrounded by officials and politicians.
Fans who stood in 3 km-long queues have called the Delhi crowd and the management “much better” than Kolkata. The organisers, they said, have learned the lesson from their mistakes in the last two days. “This is Delhi, and I’m sure what happened in Kolkata won’t happen here,” Alben said.
The Argentine great reached the Arun Jaitley Stadium at about 4.30 pm.
Strict checking in place
Upon registration, the fans got an intensive handbook, which not only had their respective gate numbers for entry but also a specific listicle of ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’.
No bags were allowed inside the stadium. Spectators had to leave prohibited items at home. Items such as outside food and beverages, alcohol, weapons, drones, power banks, cameras, laptops, umbrellas, banners, helmets, coins, perfumes, selfie sticks and bottles were strictly prohibited.
Women weren’t even allowed to carry lipsticks and kajal. Baby food and milk is only permitted for those attending with infants.
Ritisha Bhatt, who had to give up on her makeup while security checking, seemed disappointed. But, at the same time admitted that she shouldn’t have carried her bag.
Bhatt said that after whatever happened in Kolkata, the security around the Delhi stadium and at the entry is super tight. “It’s a little discomforting but it’s necessary I think. Delhi has learned from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Mumbai.”
Fans said that just by the look of it, the Delhi crowd appears to be “decent”.
“There is a lot of security. You can see a lot more decency in the crowd and just the way people are standing in queues and adhering to the guidelines. No one is making a ruckus. You can see families and youngsters. I would say it’s a different crowd,” said a football fan, who was accompanied by his son.
Kaljit Atwal travelled from the UK just to watch Messi. Like Kaljit, her friends reached from the US and Lebanon.
“We are hoping for Messi to join us too during the match. But we are just excited to see him up close. The management here is super, it’s well managed. There is no chaos at all. It’s smooth,” said Atwal, as she stood outside Gate 3 waiting for her other friends to join.
Micky, who introduced himself as a ‘diehard’ Messi fan and would be watching him for the second time after the 2011 match in Kolkata, said Delhi was “much better” in terms of management.
“You don’t face such problems here. Delhi has always been good that way. It is well managed, they have learned the lesson. Kolkata was an aberration, it shouldn’t have happened,” he said.
“Kolkata usually has a sports frenzy. And, when someone like Messi comes, people want to have a glimpse of him. The VVIPs should have taken care that fans get to see him. Hopefully that wouldn’t be the case today.”
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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