Indian expat Sandeep Kumar Prasad won AED 15 million in Abu Dhabi’s Big Ticket and now wishes to return home to his family.
“For the first time in my life, there is so much happiness,” said the 30-year-old, according to a Gulf News report.
Prasad bought the winning ticket, number 200669, on August 19. On September 3, his life completely changed when Abu Dhabi Big Ticket host Richard announced his number as the winner of the Dh15 million (around ₹35 crore) prize in a live draw.
Journey from India to UAE
Sandeep Kumar Prasad, originally from Uttar Pradesh, has been living in the UAE for the past three years, working as a technician at Dubai Drydocks.
Prasad’s wife, two brothers, and sister live in India, where he has also been worried about his father’s poor health in recent months.
After winning the jackpot, his biggest dream now is to return to India to be with his family and start his own business.
The Jackpot Ticket
The UP technician first heard about the Big Ticket draw from his friends. The lucky ticket was bought together by a group of 20 friends.
At first, Prasad couldn’t afford to buy tickets often. But for the past three months, he had been buying them regularly – and that consistency finally paid off on September 3.
The 30-year-old never thought he would win. In fact, he wasn’t even watching the draw live. When he found out he had won the grand prize, Prasad was filled with emotion.
“Oh, thank you sir, thank you…” he screamed.
Apart from the jackpot, six other winners took home AED 100,000 each.