Dreams on loan: Drivers, helps among ‘duped’

Kolkata: Football fans from across Kolkata and Bengal who spent their savings or took loans to attend Lionel Messi's appearance at Salt Lake stadium returned home disappointed after mismanagement left them unable to see the player. They had paid between Rs 5,000 and Rs 12,000 for tickets but found themselves blocked by crowds and officials, and many are now seeking refunds to repay debts.

Forid Sekh, a domestic help in south Kolkata, spent six months saving for a Rs 5,000 ticket and stood in Ramp 3 of Gate 1, but never caught sight of Messi. Sekh said: "I saved my tiffin money almost every day, some days Rs 10 and some days Rs 20, to gather the ticket money. I am really disappointed." He added that many fans from districts arrived the previous night and spent hours on the footpath outside the stadium.





Sujit Mahato, a hawker from Purulia, used funds set aside for an eye operation to buy a Rs 6,500 ticket. "I bought an expensive ticket for Rs 6,500 to see Messi, but ended up watching the crowd around the footballer taking selfies. We were told that Messi would be on the field for an hour and take penalty shots. But nothing happened. With politicians and many others surrounding Messi, we couldn't even see him from the stands. Now I am being rebuked back home. I travelled all through the night, sitting near the bathroom, but this is how I got treated. We commoners should have never bought this ticket. This will remain a life lesson for me," he said.

Ajay Mishra, a football fan from Cossipore, said, "People have spent a month's salary to see Messi. I paid Rs 5,000 for a ticket. I earn around Rs 20,000 by driving cars. I came to watch Messi, not politicians," he said.

Rohit Kangsabanik, a BCom general student, bought a Rs 5,276 ticket after borrowing from friends. Kangsabanik said, "I didn't have the money to buy a ticket. I get pocket money by playing football tournaments and catering, which I saved for the last few months. This was not sufficient to buy a ticket for me and I borrowed Rs 1,000 from two of my friends. Now I have to repay this loan, but I don't have money for it. I heard that they might refund our money, maybe then I could repay this amount."

A student from Krishnanagar spent three years' savings on two Rs 12,000 tickets for himself and his father. He said mismanagement and overcrowding meant neither could see Messi despite standing close to him.

Aritra Sarkar, a fan from Chandannagore, spent pocket money on a Rs 5,277 ticket and a Rs 6,000 Messi tattoo. "I wanted to see our football god, for which we waited for the last three months, and I saw a glimpse of him when he was walking. After that, he disappeared behind a thick crowd. They might refund the money, but could they return that moment again?" he asked.

Mark Williams, a restaurant owner in Picnic Garden, missed his grandfather's funeral mass at 1 pm to attend the event. He arrived at 2.30 pm due to traffic and found everything over. All these fans expected to see Messi and two other footballers on the field, waving to them, walking around the ground and taking penalty shots, but their sacrifices were wasted by poor organisation.