After 100 tries, Indian expat in Abu Dhabi finally wins Big Ticket

Persistence paid off for Indian expat Ilyas Babu Chekidapurath, who got lucky in the Big Ticket weekly e-draw after more than 100 attempts.

The long-time Abu Dhabi resident from Kerala won Dh50,000 with ticket number 285171, which he purchased in-store at the airport.

An elated Ilyas was all smiles when show host Richard broke the news.

“Dh50,000? Ok, thank you. I am so happy,” he said.

Having lived in Abu Dhabi for more than 26 years, Ilyas works for a private company and shares his win with 10 friends.

“I have been buying tickets for a long time… I’ve entered more than 100 draws. Big Ticket is very good. I am very happy,” he said.