After 17 years as watchman in UAE, Kerala man wins Rs 26 lakh jackpot; buys another ticket

The 44-year-old was among five winners who shared the Dh500,000 prize pool, with each receiving Dh100,000. The other winners included fellow Keralites Akhil Chandran R P and Sarath Sasidharan, along with Bangladesh nationals Arifuzzaman Shuvo and Sabuj Md Delowar Munshi.

After his win, Saidalavi said he plans to send the money back to India to support his family. Despite the unexpected windfall, he has no plans to stop trying his luck and has already contributed towards another ticket for the next draw, the report stated.

Encouraging other participants to remain hopeful, Saidalavi said, “Keep hoping! Your day will come.”

Two more Keralites among winners

Another winner from Kerala, 28-year-old Akhil Chandran R P, also took home Dh100,000 in the same draw, according to Khaleej Times.

Akhil, who works in sales and customer service, has been living in the UAE for five years. He has been participating in the Big Ticket draw with friends for the past seven years. Like Saidalavi, his winning ticket was randomly selected by a friend.

Akhil said he plans to save the prize money and is also considering buying another ticket for the upcoming draw.

“Always buy a ticket, you don’t know when your luck will come. One day you will also get lucky like us,” he said, as quoted by Khaleej Times.

The third Keralite winner, 33-year-old technician Sarath Sasidharan, has lived in the UAE since 2007. He was introduced to the raffle by his colleagues and has participated in the draws both individually and as part of groups.

Sarath’s winning ticket was selected by his mother and daughters. He plans to use his prize money for his family and future financial needs, the report added.