An unexpected call during work turned a routine day into a life-changing experience.
Dubai: For Sharad Kumar Singh, purchasing Big Ticket entries had become a monthly habit — one that has now delivered an unexpected reward.
The 44-year-old software consultant from Uttar Pradesh, India, has won Dh250,000 in Big Ticket’s Series 287, joining a group of five Indian expatriates who collectively shared Dh1.95 million in consolation prizes.
Living in the UAE since 2014, Singh first came across Big Ticket through friends around two and a half years ago. Since then, he has continued to purchase tickets every month, holding on to the hope that his turn would eventually arrive — and this time, it did.
Four random tickets
Unlike many participants who rely on lucky numbers or personal rituals, Singh has kept his approach simple. Each month, he purchases four random tickets and leaves the outcome entirely to chance. This time, it was the fourth ticket that brought him his first-ever Big Ticket win.
Despite the win, he said there was nothing unusual about the day leading up to the life-changing phone call.
“It was just an ordinary day at work when the call came through, and within 30 seconds, the day was no longer ordinary,” Singh recalled.
Planning for the future
The Dh250,000 prize has come at an opportune time for Singh, who plans to invest it in building a future with his wife, currently based in India.
Rather than spending the winnings immediately, he intends to use the amount to strengthen their long-term financial plans.
The win has also reinforced his belief that persistence can ultimately pay off.
Not his last ticket
Following his first Big Ticket win, Singh has no plans to stop participating. He said he will continue buying tickets as long as he remains in the UAE, remaining hopeful that an even bigger prize could await him in the future.
His journey reflects patience and consistency, purchasing tickets month after month without any specific strategy, only to find that this time, the fourth ticket proved to be the lucky one.
Big Ticket continues to offer participants multiple chances to win throughout June, including a Dh25 million grand prize, five Dh1 million winners, weekly cash prizes, luxury cars and The Big Spin.
