Koppal (Karnataka): The story of this British soldier starts from a small village in Karnataka. Gopal Wakode is a symbol of what human kindness, hoping in adversity and steely determination can do to change one's life around. He is the youngest of the five children of Yallappa Wakode and Fakkiravva. The family was based out of Shahpur village in Koppal village.
However, due to adverse circumstances, Wakode had to move to Goa at the age of ten. His father passed away followed by his mother and an orphaned Wakode to make ends meet would sell peanuts at beaches in Goa. He caught the attention of the British couple Brits Carroll and Colin Hanson. The couple after coming to know about Gopal's plight helped him financially.
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The couple grew fond of Gopal Wakode and when he attained the age of nineteen, he was taken to England where he was enrolled at a military barrack for being trained in cricket. Wakode immediately picked up the game and impressed the officers at the military barracks with his intelligence and strategy in cricket.
One of them facilitated Wakode to join the British army. Gopal Wakode took it as an opportunity and was recruited into the forces. He has been in service with the British armed forces and also has become a subject of the United Kingdom.
Gopal also got married to a British subject, Jasmine and has a daughter, Daisy. Despite being a British subject, Wakode visits India once in three years as Gopal's relatives are still in Shahpur.
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