Sensei Walter “Wally” Schnaubelt is no stranger to contest. He has competed all over the world in numerous competitions and tournaments and has established a name for himself in the full contact world Kyokushin Karate. However, this year, Wally takes on a new challenge – the 2012 general elections.
Wally, a third Dan holder, will contest the Namatanai Open seat, against Byron Chan under the National Alliance (NA) banner. He is one of eighteen candidates vying for the seat. This will be the second time Sensei Wally is running for the seat. His previous attempt was in the last general elections in 2007.
Sensei Wally was an uchi-deshi under Shihan Cameron Quinn and competed in the international level, reaching number 7th on the world ranking. He held the Australian and Papua New Guinean heavy weight titles for a number of years until his retirement from competitive fighting.
Meanwhile, former Taekwondo international rep, Sam Basil, will be defending his Bulolo seat.