Qatar considers special court for World Cup fans

Qatar may create special courts during the 2022 World Cup to deal quickly and “very gently” with alcohol-consuming fans who break the law in a state where public drunkenness is prohibited, a Qatari official said yesterday.

Qatari officials said the 500,000 football fans expected to descend on their country during the World Cup will be allowed to consume alcohol in designated zones, but how to best balance the country’s cultural values with Fifa’s requirements for the tournament remains contentious.

“I know in South Africa there were specific courts established during the World Cup for this kind of thing, and that is something we were discussing with Fifa,” the Gulf state’s 2022 Committee chief Hassan Al Thawadi told journalists on the sidelines of a sports conference in Doha.