When every efforts failed to keep Subrail Park dry ahead of Saturday’s Fiji FACT semifinals, someone resort­ed to an ancient Indian mythology.

And, why not, whatever works to convince Mother Nature to stop the downpour.

In a picture that is making its rounds on social media, shows a broom in the case, a coconut leaf made (sasa) firmly planted upside down pitch side, a practice per­formed by early generations to cease continuous rain.

Some believe ‘sasa’ (broom) will stop the rain’ in Labasa over the weekend. Photo: Courtesy of Asuad Ali

The idea that stemmed in India, a country where traditions breathe comfortably next to global technol­ogy was widely practiced by Indi­ans and someone in the North de­cided to give it a try when there was no sign of rain easing up.

Thakur Jagat Singh, who learnt a thing or two about the ancient beliefs from his dad, Thakur Dhar­am Jeet Singh, said the ‘broom idea’ sure works but it comes with prayers.

“I to this day believe in that strange but true phenomenon,” he said.

“You just don’t go dig up a hole and place a broom facing upside down and expect it to work.

“Mantra, prayer follows, it’s hard to explain to the generation we live in, but whoever decided to plant one at Subrail Park had the idea but lacked the knowledge.”

Jagat, who is a diehard Nadi foot­ball fan, said he was not impressed with the ground condition and the standard of football.

“What standard are we talked about given what the players were up against, bad field.”

The planted broom, and no one owned who was behind it, did not stop the rain, that poured in walls and sheets, resulting Fiji FA to abandon the Nadi and Rewa semi­final match, Nadi led 1-0 at the half.

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