India, Dec. 15 -- Indian sporting icon Abhinav Bindra struck a reflective chord on Sunday as the nation remained gripped by 'Messi mania'. The Argentine football legend is currently on a four-city tour of India, which will conclude on Monday with the final leg in New Delhi, where he is scheduled to attend a football clinic at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. While Bindra did not criticise Lionel Messi, he raised a hard-hitting question on whether India is truly investing in a sporting culture or merely celebrating global stars from afar.

Messi's visit, which began last Saturday with a forgettable Kolkata leg before smoother outings in Hyderabad and Mumbai, has drawn massive crowds, VIP-only meet-and-greet events and unprecedented media attentio...