Four winners take home Big Ticket draw prizes

The men from India and Pakistan each won Dh100,000 in monthly raffle

Sayed Muhammad from Pakistan is one of the lucky winners of Dh100,000. He made 55 his lucky number. Photo: Big Ticket

Four Gulf residents, from Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah and Oman, count themselves lucky as they each won Dh100,000 prizes in last month's Big Ticket e-draw.

Two Pakistani men and two Indian men all learnt that they had won in the last week of August.

Vinod Kumar, a father of two daughters aged 9 and 12, lives in Oman and has been buying raffle tickets for two years along with a group of 11 friends.

Vinod Kumar will use his winnings to make his daughters happy. Photo: Big Ticket

“The first thing I will buy once I receive the money is gifts for my daughters,” said the mechanic from Kerala.

“I want to make them happy. Usually, when we select the ticket number, we think carefully and always choose one with our lucky numbers.

“But this time, we selected randomly, and we didn't even pay attention to the numbers, and it worked.

“My message to everyone is to try, try, try, and one day you will win.’’

Sayed Muhammad, 30, was another winner. He works as a driver for a hospital in Abu Dhabi and chose a ticket with the number 55, believing correctly it would bring him luck.

“I will use this money wisely, invest in a business, and support my family,” said the father of four from Pakistan.

“One day, I hope to win the grand prize and be able to reunite with my family and bring them to live in the UAE.”

Sabareesh Jyothivel, 35, also from Kerala, was a third winner. The mechanical engineer has been entering the Big Ticket raffle with friends for all but one of his eight years in the UAE.

This year, the Sharjah resident decided to buy the tickets on his own, meaning the Dh100,000 prize money is all his.

“I am now in Thailand with my family for a holiday and I am so happy about my win. This cash prize will help me secure my future.”

Inayat Ullah Abdul Janan was asleep when his friend alerted him to their big win. Photo: Big Ticket

Inayat Ullah Abdul Janan, 43, was the fourth winner of the draw.

A father of six living in Dubai, he works as a driver for a private company and has been buying raffle tickets since his cousin won a grand prize of Dh20 million.

“My roommate, who shares the ticket with me, came and woke me up, saying: 'We just won the Big Ticket e-draw prize, and you are sleeping.' I didn't believe him until I saw my name on the official website,” he said.

“I am thrilled about my win, and I plan to save my cash portion because I want to buy property in Pakistan for my children.”

Updated: September 09, 2023, 8:58 AM