Sharjah friends from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh finally win Big Ticket

A group of friends from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Ukraine is celebrating a long-awaited win in the Big Ticket raffle draw.

At the heart of the group is Zakir Hussain, a 53-year-old chief accounts manager from Kerala, who has been tirelessly buying Big Ticket entries for nearly a decade. On July 25, while flying out of Abu Dhabi’s Zayed International Airport, he purchased ticket 072257 – a decision that has now brought an unexpected windfall of Dh50,000 for him and his circle of friends.

“I was really surprised when I found out,” Zakir recalled with a smile. “I was in India at the time, and a friend sent me a screenshot from the website to share the news.”

Zakir first heard about Big Ticket through colleagues and social media back in 2016.

“I’ve been in the UAE for 27 years. Before Covid, I used to buy tickets on my own, but during the pandemic, I started pooling in with colleagues and four other friends. It’s been 10 years of trying, and finally, we’re among the lucky few,” he said.

The winning group consists of eight members in total: Zakir, three colleagues from his office, including expats from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Ukraine, and four other friends, who are from Kerala.
“We’re a diverse bunch, and everyone is thrilled. Even though the amount is smaller when divided among us, the joy is immense,” Zakir said.

Interestingly, Zakir’s winning ticket wasn’t purchased online, as he usually does, but at the airport.
“I often buy tickets online, but this time I picked it up at the Abu Dhabi airport before boarding my flight. I can’t say that was a lucky charm, but it worked.” he laughed.

Zakir has been living in Sharjah for decades, though his family has returned to Kerala over the past year and a half. Despite the win, his focus isn’t just on the prize money but the journey itself. “The shared amount being small doesn’t matter. What matters is that we have finally won.”

But this isn’t the end of the journey for Zakir and his friends.

“Even when I was flying back from India, I bought another ticket from the Abu Dhabi airport,” he said. “We’re aiming for the grand prize. My message to others is simple: keep going, let them knock, and one day the door will open.”