UAE: Blue collar workers sing their way to monetary success in Camp Ka Champ competition

When Mohammed Aziz and his teammate Biswajeet Sarkar won the ‘Western Union Antakshari’ (team-based) segment of the UAE’s singing competition Camp Ka Champ, they were excited; they had just won Dh30,000. The annual competition's finale was held on Nov 2 at Nuzul corporate housing, part of Dubai Residential.

Mohammed, a technician who supports a family of eight, said: “This prize is a big amount for me — I would need a tleast two to three years of hard work to earn this much. I want to buy a plot of land with this money. It feels great to see my wish being fulfilled.”

For Biswajeet, the money he won equates to a new home. He explained: “I work as an electrician in the construction field. I have a family of thirteen members and I send money regularly to my wife. This winning amount means a lot to me. I will add it to my savings that set aside to build a house for my family — it’s a dream that holds great importance in my life.”

Besides them, Chandan Pramanik took home the title of ‘alo Singer of the Season’ and Dh30,000.

The total prize money given away was Dh100,000.

“This is the first time I have ever won a prize and the moment is truly memorable. This winning means a lot to me and I plan to use the prize money to help build my family home, in consultation with his mother” said Pramanik.

“We are proud to be supporting for close to 20 years now a competition that is so loved by the UAE’s labour community. I believe that this demonstrates how, from our products and services to marketing and other initiatives, we always prioritize our customers’ needs and how we can cater to them as best as we can.”, said Nicolas Levi, Head of Middle East, Pakistan and Afghanistan for Western Union.

Rupa Vinod, Managing Director of Right Track Advertising, added: “Season 19 turned out to be an inspiration, with unforgettable moments and a heartfelt connection with our audience and participants. Over the years, we have witnessed the transformative power of this contest —in the lives of the contestants as well as in the entire community. Camp Ka Champ Season 19 is our tribute to their spirit and passion. We are eagerly looking forward to spread more joy and discover new champions of tomorrow.”

Western Union Camp Ka Champ, which sees blue collar workers across camps compete, has been around since 2007, and over the years more than 30,000 people have participated in it.