DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Chris, a British fan in Qatar for the World Cup, tried to order a beer along with his dinner at a kebab joint on Sunday. He was shortly rebuffed. He sighed and settled for a lemonade as a substitute. “If I had been a couple of years youthful, I wouldn’t have even come to this World Cup,” mentioned Chris, a 34-year-old gross sales supervisor from London who declined to offer his final title for privateness causes.The query of the place to get a drink, a fixture at sporting occasions around the globe, within the conservative Islamic nation has been prime of thoughts for a lot of followers since Qatar banned the sale of beer in stadiums on Friday in a surprising about-face. In consequence, a lot of Doha’s bars and nightclubs — one of many uncommon locations followers can get alcohol — had been filled with crowds and had their tables absolutely booked on Sunday because the event kicked off with the match between the host nation and Ecuador.“We’re tremendous full,” mentioned the hostess at Aqua Lounge bar within the Marriott Resort. “It’s painful to show company down.” The Irish Pub mentioned the weekend has been “loopy.” DT Nightlife Membership on the Corniche, a palm-tree lined boulevard alongside the Doha waterfront, suggested followers to “come as early as potential, or else it in all probability received’t be potential.” “Nope, not an opportunity you will get in,” mentioned the hostess on the Belgian Cafe, one other stylish spot within the metropolis.The push on Doha’s bars displays the tensions tearing on the Muslim nation and challenges going through the tiniest host of the world’s greatest sporting occasion. Crowds have already got overwhelmed the FIFA Fan Pageant, now one of many solely spot followers can get beer exterior of luxurious lodge bars. Qatari officers say the pageant space has capability for 40,000 individuals — a fraction of the guests anticipated at peak instances in the course of the event. On Saturday simply after 8 p.m., police turned away 1000’s of followers. The unusually exorbitant value of alcohol has additionally dismayed many accustomed to a beer-fueled event.“Man, we’re lacking the beer,” mentioned 48-year-old Fabian Cruz from Ecuador as he wandered round Doha’s metropolis middle. He mentioned wouldn’t attempt to squeeze into the fan zone once more after the chaos the night time earlier than and couldn’t abdomen the considered downing a number of $14 beers at his lodge. In consequence, he confronted the very actual prospect of getting to attend the opening match — which pits his nation towards Qatar — utterly sober. “We don’t even want loads of alcohol. However we want some.” The query of the place and the way to get alcohol has dominated World Cup fan WhatsApp and Fb teams. Many swap recommendations on the way to sneak liquor into the nation. Some share success tales of pouring arak, a robust anise-flavored liquor, into empty bottles of hand sanitizer buried of their checked baggage. Others report their bottles had been confiscated on the airport.“After all we’re disenchanted,” Ritu Mohan from England mentioned of the stadium beer ban, including he’d be scouring the road for bars with an empty desk on Sunday night time. “However we should always have recognized what we had been stepping into once we heard Qatar was internet hosting.”