FOOTBALL

Messi statue in India to be removed because it sways in the wind

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A 21-meter-tall statue of Lionel Messi in India will be removed after it was noticed "swaying in the wind."

The huge monument in Kolkata, in the state of West Bengal, was installed in December during Messi's "GOAT" tour of the country.

According to local media, engineers from the state's Public Works Department (PWD) inspected the statue following complaints from residents on Monday.

After an inspection, the statue's immediate removal and relocation was ordered, as it was determined that its construction was seriously compromised.

"The statue of the Argentine football legend has been assessed as unsafe. We have noticed that the statue is swaying in the wind," said West Bengal state MP Sharadwat Mukherjee.

Mukherjee stressed that the proximity to a busy road and an underground passage makes removing the statue "much easier said than done," but that they plan to remove it as soon as possible.

Local media reports that the fiberglass and iron structure was additionally secured with strong nylon ropes, while barricades were set up to keep people and traffic away from the site.

Authorities are reportedly considering alternative locations for the statue, which was assembled by a team of 45 workers over 27 days.

Messi, widely considered one of the greatest footballers of all time, unveiled the statue virtually - appearing on a video screen and pressing a button on a remote control to symbolically open the monument in December. His visit to Kolkata, however, was overshadowed by violence during his appearance at the Salt Lake Stadium, when angry fans tore down everything in the stadium because the Argentine had stayed too short.

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