West Bengal CM Promises Refund For 33,000 Messi Event Fans
· India · India Today, Zee News, Sportstar
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari announced on National Sports Day that 33,000 fans who bought tickets to the chaotic Lionel Messi event at Yuva Bharati Krirangan (Salt Lake Stadium) in Kolkata will be refunded from the state sports budget. The event, held on December 13, 2025, descended into violence and vandalism after Messi's brief appearance, with critics blaming Sports Minister Aroop Biswas of the Trinamool Congress government for the disorder. Tickets had been priced at Rs 4,000 and Rs 6,000, and spectators had demanded refunds since then. Adhikari also used the occasion to attack the previous government over Bengal's declining representation in the Olympics, Asian Games, and national teams, handing out appointment letters and unveiling a sports-sector overhaul.
Why it matters
The refund resolves an eight-month-long public demand from 33,000 paying fans and signals the new West Bengal government's willingness to use the state sports budget for accountability, while it tries to rebuild the state's athletic pipeline after years of underperformance.
Read the original report — India Today
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