Suvendu Adhikari announces refunds for 33,000 Lionel Messi ticket holders
If you paid to see Lionel Messi at Kolkata's Yuva Bharati Stadium last December, but barely caught a glimpse thanks to overcrowding and blocked views, there's good news: West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has announced refunds for all 33,000 affected fans.
Tickets cost ₹4,000 or ₹6,000, but with officials and celebrities crowding the pitchside area, and Messi leaving after just 20 minutes, most people missed out.
Adhikari blames previous government neglecting athletes
On National Sports Day (August 29), Adhikari confirmed the refund process is underway.
He also took aim at the previous government for neglecting athletes (many paperwork have been stuck for 11 years) and highlighted that West Bengal's sports scene is lagging behind states like Odisha and Jharkhand in big competitions like the Olympics and Asian Games.