Meet The Visionary Who Is Bringing Lionel Messi To Kolkata

Satadru Dutta is not only a sports promoter, he is a dream weaver who tries his level best to put the light of football passion in the hearts of the children of Kolkata, the City of Joy. He has brought iconic figures in the world of football like Pele, Maradona, Cafu, Carlos Valderrama and most recently Emiliano Martinez to the places through his venture ‘A Satadru Dutta Initiative’ and now he has put legends of the world into the local sporting fabric.

Pele in Kolkata

A former finance professional who hails out of Rishra in Hooghly, Dutta shifted his career gears to sports entrepreneurship in 2011 when the prospect of delivering happiness and pride to his city trumped solely looking to make money. His initial most epic achievement was championing the arrival of stars such as Bebeto, Dunga, Juninho and Rene Higuita to Kolkata, then his attention was turned to that of Pele in 2015. The all time goal scorer accepted feeling moved by the request by Dutta to allow a new breed to see his magic on between lines.

Maradona, Mood swings and Meetings

Maybe one of the most problematic groupings was with Diego Maradona in 2017, a period that really pushed him to the limit as well as to prove himself as a professional. Amid mood swings and snarls of the logistics, scratching and rubbing his temples at times, Dutta remained unperturbed as Maradona kept his engagement with the fans and even made sure to allow a 90 minute extension to entertain the children even in midst of the turmoil.

Next Goal? Lionel Messi in Kolkata

The follow up visits of more earthly, individualities such as Cafu and Martinez were a breeze and Dutta was gaining reputation as a solid impresario. His next Goal? To bring Argentinian elite to Kolkata i.e. to make Lionel Messi, and even Cristiano Ronaldo come to Kolkata.

With every handshake, every flash, every stadium roar, the legacy is evident, Satadru Dutta has had one objective in his mind; get children to fall in love with football and cultivate pride, inspiration and a humanity into the fabric of a city.

Also Read: Lionel Messi’s Magical India Tour: Kolkata to Kick Off 4-City Celebration