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New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Indian Express
Lionel Messi's India tour to begin in Kolkata on December 12
'I got the authorisation and afterwards, made it official (on social media). Messi will post any day between August 28 and September 1 with the official poster with all details and a small introduction of his tour,' Dutta told PTI, confirming his visit. Dutta met Messi's father earlier this year to present the proposal, and on February 28, Messi himself met him at his residence for a 45-minute discussion. 'I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed convinced it was worth it and committed to coming,' Dutta said. Messi's entourage may also include Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets among others but Dutta refused to divulge any name. Messi's visit will feature masterclass with children in each city, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian footballers. He will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 and spend two days and one night in his longest stop on the tour. His December 13 schedule begins with a meet-and-greet in the morning, which will also feature a special food and tea festival. 'He's a lover of mate (Argentine herbal tea), so I am doing a fusion of Argentine and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, to be held on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet event on December 13 morning at his hotel (Taj Bengal). 'All Bengali fish, including hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be there on the platter for the food festival,' Dutta revealed. The day's highlight will be the unveiling of Messi's statue, followed by the 'GOAT Concert' and 'GOAT Cup' at either Eden Gardens or Salt Lake Stadium. Another addition of the tour is the unveiling of his mural during the upcoming Durga Puja where fans can 'post messages and draw something.' 'Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural (dimensions of 25 feet height and 20 feet width) for him, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That mural will be presented to Messi when he's inside the stadium for the GOAT Concert,' Dutta said. He added that two-three possible mural locations have been shortlisted and awaits police clearance. Salt Lake Stadium is also under consideration as a backup venue for the Kolkata concert which is originally planned at Eden Gardens.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Lionel Messi's visit to India confirmed; Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets, Jordi Alba could travel with Argentine: Report
It has finally been confirmed that Lionel Messi will visit India in December this year. The Argentine's visit received its final seal of approval, according to reports, and the Inter Miami star will have a three-city tour, which will kickstart in Kolkata on December 12. Lionel Messi in action for Inter Miami.(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect) Messi's trip will also see him go to Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi, and his visit has been named 'GOAT Tour of India 2025'. The 2022 World Cup winner will also meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on December 15, and it will be his first trip to India since 2011. In 2011, he visited Kolkata with his national team to play a friendly against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium. Promoter confirms Lionel Messi's visit Satadru Dutta, promoter of the event, told PTI, 'I got the authorisation and afterwards made it official (on social media). Messi will post any day between August 28 and September 1 with the official poster with all details and a small introduction of his tour.' The promoter met Messi's father, who is also his agent, earlier this year with the proposal. Meanwhile, he also met Messi on February 28 at his residence for a 45-minute meeting. 'I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed convinced it was worth it and committed to coming,' he said. It is also being reported that Messi could travel with Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, but that has not been confirmed yet. Messi will reach Kolkata on December 12. He will spend two days and one night there. Dutta said, 'He's a lover of mate (Argentine herbal tea), so I am doing a fusion of Argentine and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, to be held on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet event on December 13 morning at his hotel (Taj Bengal).' 'All Bengali fish, including hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be there on the platter for the food festival.' There will also be an unveiling of Messi's mural during the upcoming Durga Puja, where fans can post messages. 'Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural (dimensions of 25 feet height and 20 feet width) for him, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That mural will be presented to Messi when he's inside the stadium for the GOAT Concert,' he said.
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First Post
2 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
Messi's India tour confirmed: Star footballer to meet PM Modi, attend events in Kolkata, Mumbai and Delhi
The legendary footballer Lionel Mess's 'GOAT Tour of India 2025' will take place in December 2025 and start from Kolkata. Besides holding masterclass for young players, and meeting cricket legends, a statute of the footballer will also be unveiled. Lionel Messi will be travelling to four Indian cities during his trip in December. Image: AP Lionel Messi's much-anticipated visit to India has received its final seal of approval with the Argentine superstar set to kick off his three-city tour in Kolkata on December 12, promoter of the event Satadru Dutta said on Friday (August 15, 2025). As earlier reported by PTI, the football-mad city of Kolkata will be the first stop in Messi's whirlwind trip named , followed by Ahmedabad, Mumbai and New Delhi. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The visit will conclude after a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence on December 15. Messi to hold masterclass for young aspirants in India This will be the Argentine great's first trip to India since 2011 when he visited the country with his national team to play a FIFA friendly against Venezuela at the Salt Lake Stadium here. 'I got the authorisation and afterwards made it official (on social media). Messi will post any day between August 28 and September 1 with the official poster with all details and a small introduction of his tour,' Dutta told PTI, confirming his visit. More from Football Dutta met Messi's father earlier this year to present the proposal, and on February 28, Messi himself met him at his residence for a 45-minute discussion. 'I explained the plan and what we wanted to do. He seemed convinced it was worth it and committed to coming,' Dutta said Messi's entourage may also include Inter Miami teammates Rodrigo De Paul, Luis Suarez, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, among others, but Dutta refused to divulge any names. Messi's visit will feature a masterclass with children in each city, aimed at inspiring the next generation of Indian footballers. He will land in Kolkata on the night of December 12 and spend two days and one night in his longest stop on the tour. His December 13 schedule begins with a meet-and-greet in the morning, which will also feature a special food and tea festival. 'He's a lover of mate (Argentine herbal tea), so I am doing a fusion of Argentine and Indian Assam tea. This will be an extra addition, to be held on the sidelines of the meet-and-greet event on December 13 morning at his hotel (Taj Bengal). STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'All Bengali fish, including hilsa, and sweet delicacies will be there on the platter for the food festival,' Dutta revealed. The day's highlight will be the unveiling of Messi's statue, followed by the 'GOAT Concert' and 'GOAT Cup' at either Eden Gardens or Salt Lake Stadium. Another addition to the tour is the unveiling of his mural during the upcoming Durga Puja, where fans can 'post messages and draw something.' 'Not only will he unveil his biggest-ever statue, we will have a huge mural (dimensions of 25 feet height and 20 feet width) for him, which will be kept at strategic Durga Puja pandal-hopping locations so that all his fans will have an opportunity to paint and post messages in a nearby message box. That mural will be presented to Messi when he's inside the stadium for the GOAT Concert,' Dutta said. He added that two to three possible mural locations have been shortlisted and await police clearance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Salt Lake Stadium is also under consideration as a backup venue for the Kolkata concert which is originally planned at Eden Gardens. 'We have pencilled in both venues, and the final confirmation will come within 15 days,' Dutta said. The GOAT Cup at Eden Gardens will be a celebratory seven-a-side soft-touch football match, with Messi teaming up alongside Sourav Ganguly, Leander Paes, John Abraham and Bhaichung Bhutia. Organisers expect a sell-out crowd, with tickets likely to start from Rs 3,500. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is expected to felicitate Messi during the programme. Security will be the top priority, he said. 'The Kolkata Police Commissioner made it clear that I'm responsible for the arrangements and ensure that there are no security lapses. Messi's team is also particular about this. It's not just for him, but for every fan attending. He wants everyone to go with a happy memory and without any untoward incident,' Dutta stressed. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Messi's Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Delhi legs On the evening of December 13, Messi will travel to Ahmedabad for a private event hosted by the Adani Foundation. The Mumbai leg on December 14 will feature a meet-and-greet at CCI Brabourne, followed by the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at the Wankhede Stadium. The new addition will be the Mumbai Padel GOAT Cup at the CCI, Brabourne. 'Messi, being a great fan of the racket sport (typically played in an enclosed arena), will play padel along with celebrities at the CCI Brabourne, Mumbai,' Dutta said. Sources said Shah Rukh Khan and Leander Paes are among those expected to participate, with Messi possibly playing for five to 10 minutes. The Maharashtra Cricket Association is also planning a 'GOAT moment' pairing Messi with Sachin Tendulkar, MS Dhoni and Rohit Sharma in a GOAT Captain's moment, along with a Bollywood line-up featuring Ranveer Singh, Aamir Khan and Tiger Shroff. In Delhi on December 15, Messi will meet PM Modi at his residence before attending the GOAT Concert and GOAT Cup at Feroz Shah Kotla. Sources revealed that the Delhi District Cricket Association is also inviting Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, who is a big 'Messi fan', a day after playing India's third T20I against South Africa in Dharamsala. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Telegraph
06-03-2025
- General
- Telegraph
‘Like lemon soap with hints of swimming pool water' – the best and worst Earl Grey tea bags
Milk, black or with lemon? The first time I took my now husband to meet my mother, she offered us tea. Taking a cup, I looked for the milk jug. 'But darling,' said my mother aghast, 'it's Earl Grey.' Turning to my beloved for support, I noted that he was already drinking his milkless, and looking smug. He, at least, had passed the test. With milk or without, Earl Grey tea is the most elegant of British brews. Flavoured with bergamot, a bitter, headily perfumed citrus fruit grown mostly in Italy, it may be classically sipped from a bone china tea cup with a slice of lemon, but I'm just as likely to drink it from a mug with a slosh of milk. The tea itself is black, rather than green, and it can be Indian Assam or Sri Lankan or even Chinese. It's the bergamot flavouring that is the most important – and contentious – part. Bergamot oil is expensive and highly volatile, meaning that many of the manufacturers choose a cheaper, more stable option. In other words, flavouring – natural or otherwise. According to the UK Flavour Association: 'If reference is also given to the source, e.g. 'natural lemon flavouring', then 95 per cent of the flavouring must be derived from lemons.' So natural bergamot flavouring should be made mostly from bergamot. Of course it might not be the most fragrant part of the bergamot, or the best part. Not all flavourings are created equal. If the label says simply 'natural flavouring' it could be derived from anything: in the case of Earl Grey tea, lemons are likely to feature. But don't imagine 'natural flavouring' means it's something recognisable to the average tea drinker. It just means the source is natural, but it may well have been heavily processed. For example, a vanilla-scented cake which includes 'natural flavouring' on the ingredients list, might contain 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzaldehyde, a yellowish powder extracted from the root of the Periploca sepium plant, aka Chinese silk vine, generally using a combination of steam and solvents. It counts as a natural flavouring. It's hard tasting Earl Grey because of the powerful lingering flavour, which means taking plenty of breaks. I enlisted the help of food writer Hattie Ellis, whose books include Spoonfuls of Honey (Harper Collins) and The One Pot Cook (Bloomsbury). We favoured products where we could still taste the actual tea, rather than just a palate-stripping mouthful of citrus. As for the milk question, I turned to revered fine tea experts Postcard Teas who sell Hattie's preferred loose leaf Earl Grey, where it is their bestselling line. It can, they say, 'be taken with or without milk'.
