Want To Watch India Vs Uruguay For Free? Bengal CM Has A Surprise For Messi Fans - ABP Live English
Want to watch India take on Uruguay at the Salt Lake Stadium without paying for a ticket? West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced free tickets for around 22,000 fans who bought tickets for Lionel Messi's Kolkata event last year but were unable to see the Argentine superstar amid the chaos.
The announcement came shortly after India hosted Brazil at the Salt Lake Stadium on Saturday. Adhikari said spectators who had purchased tickets online for the Messi event but were unable to watch him would be given free tickets for India's October 6 friendly against Uruguay.
The beneficiaries are expected to be identified through the records of those who bought tickets for last year's event. The state government will announce a WhatsApp number through which eligible spectators can submit their details and claim the tickets.
βI want to convey this through the media to the people who missed out on the Messi event, some 22,000 of them,β Adhikari said, adding that the government would provide free tickets for the Uruguay match.
The decision follows the controversy surrounding Messi's Kolkata appearance, when large numbers of spectators who had paid to attend the event were unable to properly watch the Argentine due to severe crowding and organisational problems.
India will return to the Salt Lake Stadium on October 6 for another major international friendly, this time against two-time FIFA World Cup champions Uruguay.
The fixture comes just days after India suffered a 4-0 defeat against five-time world champions Brazil at the same venue. The result gave Khalid Jamil's side another difficult test against elite South American opposition.
The Brazil match attracted 51,402 spectators at the 85,000-capacity stadium. Adhikari said around 20,000 seats had deliberately not been sold for the fixture to improve crowd management and avoid overcrowding.
The latest ticket announcement therefore combines two separate issues surrounding football in Kolkata: the fallout from last year's Messi event and the challenge of filling the stadium for another high-profile international fixture.
For the fans who were unable to see Messi despite paying for tickets, the India-Uruguay match now offers an opportunity to return to the Salt Lake Stadium without having to pay for admission.
Around 22,000 fans who bought tickets for Lionel Messi's Kolkata event last year but were unable to see him amid chaos are eligible.
The free tickets compensate fans who missed out on seeing Lionel Messi last year due to severe crowding and organisational problems. It's an opportunity for them to return to Salt Lake Stadium.
The state government will announce a WhatsApp number. Eligible spectators can submit their details through this number to claim their tickets.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced that around 22,000 free tickets would be given to eligible fans.
Prateek Thakur is a Copy Editor at ABP Live English, reporting on major sporting events while spotlighting the human stories of athletes that matter.
You can reach out to him at prateekt@abpnetwork.com.
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