Football

Hide that bottle

DOHA: Toasting a win will be a very different experience at next year's World Cup in Qatar, where football fans can only drink in certain places and must respect Islamic customs.

In a country where public intoxication is illegal, the usual sight of boozy supporters thronging the streets is likely to be absent from the first World Cup in the Middle East.

Instead, most of the drinking will take place at the official fan zones or at licensed restaurants or hotels.

It looks unlikely that ordinary ticket-holders will be able to drink at games, although no decision has been announced. Fifa are offering hospitality packages, starting at US$950 (RM3,900) and soaring to US$4,950 for a group match, that include alcohol and other perks.

Alcohol "will be available in additional fan and hospitality locations", the world football body said in a statement.

According to Akbar Al Baker, chairman of the Qatar Tourism Authority, there will be "as much alcohol as you want."

Fans will arrive at Doha's dry airport terminal and, once they find a bar, they will be looking at about US$10 for a pint of beer and US$20 for a cocktail.

They will also learn to recognise the euphemistic language used to promote alcohol sales on signs and online.

"There are words we should avoid using," said a manager at a Doha hotel, which is training staff at its sports bar.

"Instead of beer, we will say 'hops and grains', wine is 'grape drink' and for sparkling wine or champagne, it's 'bubbly'.

"We have different brunch packages, the most expensive to include alcohol will be called 'enhanced package' to avoid embarrassing Qataris who read the menu."

Many in the food and beverage industry are reluctant to talk too publicly about alcohol for fear of upsetting local patrons, Qatari owners, or authorities.

In terms of infrastructure and organisation, most observers agree that Qatar will be ready for the World Cup, with new stadiums opened and roadworks completed.

But there are questions over how 1.2 million fans will spend their time in Doha, Qatar's only major city, whose leading attractions include museums and cultural centres.

"World Cup visitors are coming to be entertained... attending games is mostly just a side-benefit," said an expert on sports events in Qatar.

Tourism authority chairman Al Baker, also group CEO of Qatar Airways, insisted visitors would get "an experience that will be second to none.

"Qatar is really the world's best kept secret. We have so much to offer for tourists," he said.

And former Netherlands international Ronald de Boer, a 2022 World Cup ambassador who lived in Doha for five years, said fears about alcohol were overblown.

"Doha will be ready for this amount of fans, they can really hold big events. And don't worry that you can't drink a beer," he said earlier this year.--AFP

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