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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
Sport
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

70ft Lionel Messi statue in India taken down for safety reasons after swaying in the wind

  • A 70ft statue of Argentinian football legend Lionel Messi in Kolkata , India , is being removed less than six months after its unveiling.
  • Engineers from the West Bengal government deemed the golden-coloured statue unsafe after it was observed swaying in the wind.
  • Ropes were reportedly used to secure the structure after complaints about its instability.
  • The statue, which only vaguely resembled Messi, had previously drawn criticism for its appearance when erected last December.
  • It was commissioned by a local football club whose president, Sujit Bose, was later arrested on corruption allegations.

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