Dubai: It was only his first attempt at participating in the Mahzooz draw, but Thinakar, 25, an Indian farmer-turned-mason working in Fujairah has made a bumper harvest of Dh10 million after emerging the grand prize winner during Mahzooz’s recent 57th weekly draw.
Thinakar, the second expatriate in two weeks to win Dh10 million (last week, French-Tunisian national Hamdi also won Dh10 million), matched five out of the five winning numbers (1, 33, 40, 45, 46) and it was not just beginner’s luck he said that brought him the massive fortune.
“My late grandparents’ blessings have brought me this money as the lifeline to save my family,” he said, adding: “I’ve seen my roommates participate for months and thought it was time I did too. I was very nervous as it was my first time participating, so I selected the numbers randomly.”
For family and loved ones
Thinakar said “rescuing his family from a deluge of debts” was the primary reason he moved to the UAE two years ago on money he borrowed from friends. “The farmland we bought with a loan was costing us more than the income the harvest generated. I’ve worked very hard to bring our liabilities down to Dh50,000,” he added.
But now, his massive windfall with Mahzooz has dwarfed his gigantic problems and the first thing he will do is reunite with his family. He also asked his eldest sibling working in Saudi Arabia to move back home to jointly run a business and cultivate their land.
He added: “I’m a multimillionaire who can finally buy the Yamaha RX100 bike I dreamed of having as a teenager! I can’t thank the UAE and Mahzooz enough.”
Huge responsibility
Since he found out about his big win, Thinakar said he had been restless. “I didn’t sleep that first night (after the draw), and I’ve lost my appetite since the results. The largest sum of money I’ve seen is Dh900. Only because of wonderful Mahzooz I now have 10,000 times that amount. I’m so happy as reached great heights but having money of this magnitude at such a young age is a huge responsibility,” he added earnestly.
But he plans to shoulder that responsibility maturely by improving the school facilities in his village. He said: “I was never a studious person, but I know that good education can open windows of opportunities. I was able to come to the UAE only because I finished 12th grade and completed a vocational course.”
The true-blue farmer also believes that what you sow is what you reap. It’s an extension of his motto in life, inspired by a dialogue, his favourite Indian actor Vijay had once delivered: “‘Life is a circle – winners can become losers and losers can become winners. I’m a winner today because I have been kind to people in the past and I will continue being generous. A change in bank balance won’t alter my humility,” added Thinakar.
Other winners
The 57th Mahzooz Grand Draw also saw six winners sharing the second-tier prize of Dh1 million, taking home Dh166,666 each. Additionally, three participants won Dh100,000 each in the raffle draw.
Bountiful year
Meanwhile, Farid Samji, CEO of Ewings LLC, operator of Mahzooz, said: “The pursuit of greatness has been the defining element of Mahzooz’s journey, and looking back, 2021 has been a year of momentous milestone after milestone that we’re proud of. To date, Mahzooz has produced 21 millionaires and 139,817 winners who have collectively taken home Dh154,333,394. The fact that even the pandemic couldn’t rein us in is proof of our dedication to improving the lives of our participants.”
“But this is just the beginning. Looking back is a great way to recap and take stock of our milestones but Mahzooz is all about the future and creating a better tomorrow for our participants. We will build on the success of 2021 and use it as a stepping stone to make 2022 a year of more winners, more prize money, and more success and more dreams realised,” he added.
How to join?
The next Mahzooz live draw will be held on Saturday, January 1, at 9pm (UAE time). Entrants can participate by registering on its app and the website.
