“This is unbelievable! Winning the Rs 8-crore Thiruvonam Bumper would not have brought this much joy to me,” says Mohammed Sherif, who flew to Russia to watch the World Cup after bagging first prize of a 'scratch and win' contest held by a private firm in Dubai.
Sherif, a native of Valapuram near Pulamanthole and an ardent soccer fan, says winning the first prize was the last thing on his mind. Now, the incredible once-in-a-lifetime prize will enable him to watch all the knockout matches of the ongoing World Cup. The company will also sponsor his accommodation and travel expenses. Can a diehard football fan ask for anything more?
Before going to the Gulf in search of a job 17 years ago, Sherif was a footballer himself, playing as a goalkeeper for his team in local tournaments. Though his life got busy, Sherif kept his passion for the game intact by taking an active role in organising football tournaments in Sharjah. Currently, he is the president of the Young Indian Football Club, a top-tier team in the Kozhikode District Football League.
According to him, the ultimate dream of a true football fan is to watch at least a World Cup match in person. “I always dreamt of watching a live World Cup. In the past, I had tried to save money to fulfill that lifelong dream, but there were several obstacles that did not allow me to achieve that goal.
The first match he watched in Russia was the pre-quarterfinal encounter between Argentina and France. He was seen in the stands holding a banner in Malayalam which read, “It’s not a World Cup without Malappuram folks”.
“I don’t want to miss any of the matches. And, in the end, I want to see my favourite team Brazil lifting the cup,” Sherif says.
Read more: FIFA World Cup news
