FIFA just banned the sale of alcohol at the tournament at the request of Qatar two days before kick-off. This puts FIFA at odds with sponsors.
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Good!
I prefer whey milk shakes and mixed fruit shakes and almost never drink alcohol.
So, banning alcohol is fine with me 
Ok, if there is alcohol-free beer.
But the late announcement...
On the other hand, making a legal contract for millions of pounds of sponsorship with a company whose only product is based around alcohol, and then reneging on that contract 48 hours before the event starts, is not a good look.
They also reneged last week on the issue of LGTB+ tolerance, so I expect to see dozens of arrests, show trials, and prison sentences for fans.
Alcohol is super bad for health and having alcohol-related companies sponsoring sports is already a very stupid idea , for anyone who cares about health and other humans and their well-being.
See Also:
Well, i do have a beer, glass of wine or a gin/tonic occasionally.
Nothing wrong with that IMHO, if you don't have 10 of, or use daily.
As for Qatar WC stuff, if you agreed on something you should respect the arrangement.
The reality/fact is that people who watch sports (especially football) drink and this only reduces accessibility which in turn will increase black market stuff.
The FIFA/UEFA folk tho can drink as much as they want in their fancy hotels, so i sense a dash of discrimination here
That's nothing new in companies which produce various poisons to sponsor sports.
Professional sport is unhealthy by design.
Regards.
Peasant.
I am not following you and Paul.
According to what I read, Qatar asked FIFA to ban alcohol sales and consumption at the FIFA events.
There was no contract which I can find documented anywhere, which obligated FIFA to permit alcohol sales and consumption at the events, even with alcohol-related sponsorship.
If you have facts otherwise, please post credible references, thanks!
Actually the medical facts do not support what you said above.
However, all drinkers say the same thing Even me before I stopped drinking even the "one glass of red wine a day" . and changed to healthy foods
I think it is good that FIFA followed and respected Qatar culture.
Research has shown that any amount of alcohol consumption is damaging a person's health.
And are the people who consume alcohol in public places sobering up before they drive?
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Yes. The myth there are "good", "safe" or "healthy" levels of alcohol consumption has been debunked by credible medical science for a while.
There are tons of credible medical research that drinking gold standard whey protein shakes, fresh fruit shakes and cold pressed fruit / veggie drinks have amazing health benefits.
My doctors have told me my body is healthier than most 20 or even 30 years younger than my age.
I am OK with 20 years younger !!
Feeling very blessed to take good care of my mind and body. Thanks to my wife also!!!
I can agree that alcohol is very bad for both body and mind, and having it associated with sporting activity is seriously misguided.
I just wonder why the matter was not resolved during the bidding/bribery process 12 years ago in 2010, rather than two days before the first match.
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Drinking half a glas of red wine every evening is healthy, if you do it long enough.
If you do it for 100 years you reach the age of over 100 years!
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A lot changes in 12 years.
Not sure why anyone cares if alcohol is permitted in a FIFA World Cup in 2022 held in Qatar, unless their lifestyle is centered around alcohol consumption AND they have tickets for this event.
The world is what it is, warts and all.
Yes you are right.
My meals consists of fresh fruits and vegetables.
I buy no frozen foods or canned foods.
I buy various beans and boil them and store in small meal size containers.
Only very lean meats and fresh salmon and occasionally tuna.
I slice fresh ginger each morning and boil it in water for 3 minutes and drink it.
Do some research on benefits of fresh ginger. I think you will be impressed.
I also take around 1 tablespoon of flax seed.
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I'm not taking good safe or healthy levels - but enjoying glass of wine or beer occasionally, ignoring the health facts.
Same as steak or a good grill, i know cooked meat is better for you, but grilled tastes better so i gladly accept the health risk from time to time.
What i'm saying is, people should make choices and not governments instead of them in matters regarding their own bodies and legal substances found in your general store.
As for Qatar FIFA and sponsor deals - i really do not care much about it (not a big fan or a ticket holder), but if it has been a deal it should be honored - doubtful you will find details about it online.
If not, well it is known what are the rules there and a visitor should honor those even if one does not agree with them, otherwise do not visit.
Regards.
Actually, I have nothing against others drinking alcohol at all; as long as they do not bother or hurt others while drinking or drunk.
The research is inconclusive regarding football hooliganism and alcohol consumption.
What I do not understand is this ...
I do not think there was any deal in 2010 about permitting drinking in a Qatar FIFA event in 2022. There were certainly no sponsors in 2010 for a 2022 sports event.
So, it seems like a tempest in a teapot to me.
Qatar, like them or not, has an absolute right to ban drinking in public events as this is a long standing law in Qatar. Public drinking of alcohol is illegal in Qatar and a football game is a public event.
Qatar is just following their own laws!
The problem to me seems like a bunch of western meddling in Qatar by pro-alcohol folks.
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Lemme try to elaborate with an example.
I'm a die hard fan which reserved a spot (hotel, vacation, paid money) to be a part of this event, under the pretense i could have a beer or two before and after the event / match.
Two days before the event starts, a ban is lifted.
I cannot now cancel or anything due to such decision, so i would feel cheated in this regard.
If they communicated this from start, then other types of people would or would not come, including imaginary me from above.
Also, folks say Qatar culture i say BS, due to the fact that stuff is allowed in 4-5 star hotels, VIP stadium parts and few bars with extreme prices.
Old latin saying goes here : Quod licet Iovi, non licet bovi or what is permissible for Jupiter is not permissible for cows - cows being ordinary folks, while Jupiter being wealthy folks in WC Qatar.
Regards.
this might help .... ally some of your concerns
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Thanks @munkeHoller
Also, one more reference, showing in my view, that Qatar has tried to be accommodating in this matter:
Alcohol laws
As the first Muslim country to host the World Cup, there has been much discussion around whether football fans will be able to drink alcohol during the tournament. While Qatar was expected to modify its laws around alcohol temporarily for the occasion, it has now been confirmed just 48 hours before kick-off that alcohol will be banned in all of the country's participating stadiums.
Tourists should be aware that it is an offence to be drunk or drink alcohol while out in public in Qatar, particularly when it leads to disorderly or offensive behaviour. If you are found to be drinking in a public place, you could face a prison sentence of up to six months as well as a fine of QAR3,000 - around ÂŁ700.
Alcohol is only available at licensed hotel restaurants and bars - and fans will no longer be able to buy alcohol within stadiums either, including one of FIFA's biggest sponsors Budweiser, although the non-alcoholic Bud Zero will still be available. A statement from FIFA confirmed today, Friday, that they would be "removing sales points of beer from Qatar's FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters".
With this ban in place, the only place where alcohol will be sold in stadiums is hospitality boxes - which start at ÂŁ19k for one match. According to organisers there will be designated fan zones where alcohol will be available to buy, although the reported price of beer in this areas has been criticised - setting revellers back an eye-watering ÂŁ12 per pint.
The legal drinking age in the country is 21, and venues will ask for photo ID upon entry. Tourists are advised by the gov.uk website not to carry alcohol around with them.
Reference:
I don't think the argument folks here are making that there was some implied contract to permit ticket holders to drink alcohol freely in the stadium ever existed. Sure, people who like drinking beer at sports events were hopeful, or maybe expecting, but there was never any formal statement to this effect, as far as I can see.
"... one of FIFA's biggest sponsors Budweiser, although the non-alcoholic Bud Zero will still be available"
I still think it is a tempest in a teapot. Qatar is a sovereign nation and their laws are clear. People were hoping for an exception, which never happened. That is not Qatar's fault nor FIFA's fault; as I cannot find anywhere where FIFA or Qatar promised otherwise.
I lived and worked in Saudi Arabia for 16 months, and their laws are much stricter than Qatar's in this regard. Qatar is fairly liberal for a Muslim country compared to Saudi, but (at least in my view), Qatar's position perfectly aligns with their laws based on their Muslim identity.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino said ...
“There will be […] over 200 places where you can buy alcohol in Qatar and over 10 fan zones, where over 100,000 people can simultaneously drink alcohol.
“I think personally, if for three hours a day you cannot drink a beer, you will survive.”
“Especially because actually the same rules apply in France or in Spain or in Portugal or in Scotland, where no beer is allowed in stadiums now,” he added.
“It seems to become a big thing because it’s a Muslim country, or I don’t know why.”
I quickly fact checked France, Spain, Portugal and Scotland, and it appears the FIFA chief was speaking correctly on this point.
See:
As a world traveling expat, I can totally see the hypocrisy when Western counties are way out of bounds, projecting their religious (mostly Christian dominate), cultural and other biases into the Muslim world.
It's truly hypocrisy on display in Western countries, with major problems such as past and current horrible colonialism, deep-rooted racism and slavery, genocide against indigenous peoples, etc., being so critical of Muslim values in Muslim nations.
Everyone would be better off if cooler heads would prevail and everyone who loves football accepts that this year the World Cup is in a Muslim country and to RESPECT the values of that country.
Infantino also said ...
“We are taught many lessons from Europeans, from the Western world,” he said, referring to criticisms of Qatar’s human rights record.
“What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons.”
This is so true. Why not protest the destruction of the Native American lands and cultures in the US, where European's with whisky and rifles ruined indigenous civilizations? Or why not go crazy and blast the US for building the back of the early economy on slavery? Or why not have mass protests about how European colonialism raped the core fabric from many nations in the past?
There are few nations with perfect track records of human rights; and regarding LGBTQ and women’s rights, these are important issues; but at the core of this matter is a great hatred of LGBTQ in the US by an entire political party, even if this discrimination is illegal.
Everyone needs to get their heads out of their ass and learn to view the world objectively without their own "small world" biases. The world is a big place and it is the only world we have. Just enjoy other cultures and ideas different than your own from time-to-time.
It's the 2022 FIFA World Cup in a Muslim country. Everyone should be celebrating the good values in Muslim nations and tone down, way down, the hate speech in my view.
In closing, if you study colonialism, you will quickly see that in every case, the country which was colonizing always was hyper-critical of the peoples they were taking control over. The British in India, the Europeans against native peoples in the US, etc, etc. The list of crimes against humanity is not limited to Muslim countries. Western Christian nations have done their fair share of human rights abuses.
Europeans plowed whisky into native Americans; and then when these peoples were addicted and drunk, "purchased" their lands for beads and trinkets.
Stop using Muslim laws against public alcohol consumption and same-sex marriage to attack Qatar during the 2022 World Cup, please. Give it a rest for a while. Give peace a chance.
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