GOAT tour fiasco: Has inviting legends like Messi helped Indian football?

The mayhem at Lionel Messi’s first leg of GOAT Tour of India in Kolkata may have served as a lesson for the organisers of the next three gigs: one in Hyderabad this evening, Mumbai tomorrow and the capital the day after. In any case, what may make their job easier is that none are in a position to bring together a 65,000-plus crowd nor muster the same passion for the biggest icon of the sport.

The Yuva Bharati Krirangan (or Salt Lake Stadium) has, in it’s existence of over four decades, been no stranger to fan violence in football – but it’s shocking to have the biggest havoc of them being wrecked on a pride of place due to frustration borne in a promotional event.

The blame game has already begun between the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP about the key figures of the destruction, but the occasion may be worthwhile to revisit our obsession of inviting football legends for an all-too-familiar felicitation routine.

Be it Pele, Diego Maradona, Messi or Ronaldinho, such gigs have flourished from time to time – irrespective of the dispensation in power – which has political heavyweights stealing the limelight with the legends, kicking a football or two as they play special guests at opening ceremonies.

The difference between Messi’s visit here in 2011, to play Argentina’s friendly against Venezuela and the ongoing one had been like chalk-and-cheese though – and it perhaps explains the angst of the fans on Saturday.

The media had been agog with stories on how fans have had to dig deep into their pockets to buy tickets – ranging from Rs 4500 to Rs 25,000 for the VIP stands. Add to it is the mindboggling price tag of Rs 10 lakhs for a photo opportunity with the football icon and it all adds up to a hugely commercial exercise.

Event promoter Satadru Dutta, who finds himself hauled over the coals after the fiasco, has often prided himself of being a ‘commercial sports promoter’ who is not morally obliged to bother about the upliftment of Indian football.

 In today’s sporting ecosystem, Dutta is entitled to his own way of thinking but then, one needs to also ensure a worthwhile spectator experience for the same. Just ponder over what the spectators got this morning after paying through their nose – a few Hindi hits from a C-lister, an exhibition game between washed out footballers for Mohun Bagan Super Giant and Diamond Harbour FC while two groups of young football trainees waited endlessly for Messi’s attention without success.

It’s been a disgrace, to say the least, and state government has now asked Dutta’s company to refund for the tickets. While that would be the most welcome move to ensure closure, it’s certainly time to rethink about the felicitation culture. Making a spectacle of such a fare to score brownie points have paid off on previous occasions, but it has now dealt a bodyblow to India’s reputation as footballing hosts in general.

 No less hideous in the 50-feet statue of Messi which he virtually inaugurated this morning – a gigantic landmark but with little resemblance with the Argentine. Let’s not embarrass ourselves any further!