Lionel Messi’s India visit is just pure optics
Lionel Messi must be confused these days. No, it has nothing to do with his football skills, but why he came to India for a tour which had nothing to do with his own sport. In three days, Leo Messi has seen everything, chaos in Kolkata, politicians in Hyderabad, legend Sachin Tendulkar in Mumbai and then the trip to polluted New Delhi on Monday.
Imagine, even if 2008 Beijing Olympics gold medallist Abhinav Bindra has posted on social media on Messi’s visit and what purpose it serves, he is making a valid point. Bindra is also in awe of Messi the football God, who is loved and worshipped all over the world. But where Bindra has argued in his post very well is how this does no good to Indian sports.
Imagine, the promoter who signed up the Messi ‘deal’ has been arrested by cops in Kolkata and did not got bail. The chaos at the football venue was pathetic, thanks to ‘netas’. Each one was interested in being ‘seen’ with Messi and getting selfies clicked. Sadly, the true football fans who paid a bomb were left in the lurch in Kolkata.
From Kolkata to Hyderabad, Messi was flown in a private jet in quick time. He, perhaps, was not even aware what damage had been done in Kolkata. In Hyderabad, from Revanth Reddy to Rahul Gandhi, they had their ‘photo op’ with Messi. The real football fans were conspicuous by their absence. Never mind, the show had to go on.
Meanwhile, Kalyan Chaubey, President of the All India Football Federation, who is also a BJP ‘neta’ smartly distanced himself from the Messi show. The well-meaning folks like Abhinav Bindra know Messi has not come for promoting Indian sports. Would anyone, Sunil Chhetri included, have told Lionel Messi, the Indian Super League has not taken off. The situation is so pathetic, now the AIFF wants the Sports Ministry to run the ISL for them.
If the stop in New Delhi was supposed to be high profile, there were lies as well. Whoever said Messi would be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi? The PM not even in India. The flight to the Capital was, again, chaos for Messi. Fog delay meant he came late and went to the stadium.
Hang on, he did not go to the Ambedkar Stadium, Delhi’s football venue. Instead, he went to the Ferozeshah Kotla, now known as the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Crazy fans paid to watch a football star at a cricket venue! This can happen only in India. Can you think of a football legend being paraded at The Oval or Trent Bridge in England?
The photographs being thrown out on social media are, again, confusing. Messi is posing with ICC chairman Jay Shah, who has invited him for the ICC T20 World Cup match next year – India versus USA. Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta is also seen. None from football circles are present.
We all know, Messi will be busy next year. He is expected to play in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. If he still comes, imagine what amount of money is being splurged on him. As Abhinav Bindra has said, if we could spend that money on Indian sports, it would be so much better.
But then, who cares. Those who wanted to be photographed with Messi are lucky. He came to India, and did not play football. That, we will see, on television, another day, from a different time zone.
