🔗 Share this article 'Paul was fun': Reflecting on snooker's lost great a score of years on. The talented player claimed The Masters three times during a short but glittering career. All Paul Hunter truly desired to do was play snooker. A sporting bug, sparked at the age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his family's living room table in Leeds, would result in a professional career that saw him secure six significant titles in a six-year span. Now marks two decades since the adored Hunter died from cancer, just days before to his twenty-eighth birthday. But despite the tragic departure of a once-in-a-generation player that rose above the sport he adored, his influence and memory on the game and those who were close to him endure as strong as ever. 'He just loved it': Early Beginnings "We'd never have known in a lifetime the boy would become a career sportsman," his mother states. "Yet he just was passionate about it." Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" besides snooker as a youth. "He was relentless," he adds. "He competed every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the toddler years. After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a local club to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from home play with aplomb. His mercurial talent would be nurtured by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: The Path to Glory With his mother and father's requests to do his homework often being ignored as practice took priority, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully concentrate on building a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within a short period, their still-teenage son had won his maior professional trophy, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter was victorious a trio of times, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never deserted him. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina continues. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his natural likability, youthful appearance and candid way with the press, not to mention his prodigious ability, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Facing Adversity: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have signaled the peak of his powers, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo chemotherapy. Multiple accounts from across the professional tour speak of the man's extraordinary willingness to honor obligations to public appearances and promotional work, all while going through treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter played on through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The World Championship arena when he played at the World Championships that year. When he passed away in October 2006, snooker's family-like circuit lost one of its cherished personalities. "It's awful," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to lose a child." A Foundation for the Future: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true contribution would be felt not in high society but in community venues across the UK. The foundation he inspired, set up before his death, would provide no-cost coaching to young people all over the country. The initiative was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas dropped significantly. "The idea was for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one official said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a major coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children globally. "It would have thrilled him what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a senior official in the sport stated. Forever in Memory: A Lasting Presence Classic footage of their son's matches via the internet help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We don't mind talking about Paul," she concludes. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be mentioned at all." Although he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have secured snooker's greatest prize is a part of the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is most associated, begins later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his achievements, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his spectacular skill with a cue, that will ensure he is forever celebrated.
The talented player claimed The Masters three times during a short but glittering career. All Paul Hunter truly desired to do was play snooker. A sporting bug, sparked at the age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his family's living room table in Leeds, would result in a professional career that saw him secure six significant titles in a six-year span. Now marks two decades since the adored Hunter died from cancer, just days before to his twenty-eighth birthday. But despite the tragic departure of a once-in-a-generation player that rose above the sport he adored, his influence and memory on the game and those who were close to him endure as strong as ever. 'He just loved it': Early Beginnings "We'd never have known in a lifetime the boy would become a career sportsman," his mother states. "Yet he just was passionate about it." Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" besides snooker as a youth. "He was relentless," he adds. "He competed every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the toddler years. After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a local club to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from home play with aplomb. His mercurial talent would be nurtured by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: The Path to Glory With his mother and father's requests to do his homework often being ignored as practice took priority, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully concentrate on building a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within a short period, their still-teenage son had won his maior professional trophy, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter was victorious a trio of times, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never deserted him. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina continues. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his natural likability, youthful appearance and candid way with the press, not to mention his prodigious ability, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Facing Adversity: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have signaled the peak of his powers, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo chemotherapy. Multiple accounts from across the professional tour speak of the man's extraordinary willingness to honor obligations to public appearances and promotional work, all while going through treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter played on through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The World Championship arena when he played at the World Championships that year. When he passed away in October 2006, snooker's family-like circuit lost one of its cherished personalities. "It's awful," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to lose a child." A Foundation for the Future: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true contribution would be felt not in high society but in community venues across the UK. The foundation he inspired, set up before his death, would provide no-cost coaching to young people all over the country. The initiative was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas dropped significantly. "The idea was for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one official said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a major coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children globally. "It would have thrilled him what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a senior official in the sport stated. Forever in Memory: A Lasting Presence Classic footage of their son's matches via the internet help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We don't mind talking about Paul," she concludes. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be mentioned at all." Although he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have secured snooker's greatest prize is a part of the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is most associated, begins later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his achievements, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his spectacular skill with a cue, that will ensure he is forever celebrated.