How three special dates helped a Malayali expat win 78 crore in UAE Lottery

ABU DHABI: Lottery draws such as Big Ticket have transformed the lives of thousands of Malayali expatriates over the years. The latest among them is Sunil Kumar Sadasivan, who has won the AED 30 million (over Rs 78 crore) grand prize in The UAE Lottery's Lucky Day draw.

Sunil Kumar, 52, works as a maintenance technician in Abu Dhabi and is the second grand prize winner of The UAE Lottery. He picked his lucky numbers using three special dates—his own birthday, his wife's birthday, and his daughter's birthday. Sunil bought the winning ticket together with a friend. The duo had earlier won AED 100 in a previous draw. Encouraged by that small win, they decided to try their luck again, and this time, it changed their lives.

Sunil said he found out about his jackpot after returning from work and relaxing in his room. The first person he called was his wife.

"My wife doesn't have big dreams. She only wants a simple life. When she heard about the prize money, the first thing she asked was, 'What are we going to do now?' We are an ordinary family, and we want to use this money to help others," Sunil said.

Sunil also shared that he and his wife waited nearly 12 years before they were blessed with a daughter. She is now seven years old. He said his biggest dream is to give his daughter the best education and help her become a doctor. The first thing he plans to do after receiving the prize money is to buy a gift for her. Sunil also hopes to complete the construction of his house. Having worked hard since a young age, he says he now wants to take some time to relax and enjoy life.