🔗 Share this article 'He was a joy': Honoring the game's lost great 20 years on. The talented player won The Masters thrice during a brief yet brilliant career. Everything the young snooker player always wished to do was practice the game. A competitive passion, sparked at the very young age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his home's central table in his Leeds home, would result in a professional career that saw him claim half a dozen major wins in a six-year span. The present year marks a score of years since the beloved Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his 28th birthday. But despite the loss of a generational talent that rose above the game he loved, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who followed his career endure as vibrant now. 'He just loved it': The Formative Years "We could not have predicted in a lifetime the boy would become a pro on the circuit," Kristina Hunter says. "However he just was passionate about it." Hunter's father remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" other than snooker as a young boy. "His dedication was constant," he notes. "He competed every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the age of three. After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a nearby hall to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from home play with aplomb. His raw skill would be nurtured by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now defunct club in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Metoric Ascent: A Star is Born With his family's urging to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as training came first, his parents took the "risk" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on forging a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within half a decade, their adolescent had won his maior professional trophy, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the presence of elite players only, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. 'A Cheeky Charm': A Legacy of Character But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded. "He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody." "Upon meeting him you'd like him," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "witty, generous" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his easy charm, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'. Facing Adversity: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have been the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary dedication to fulfill commitments to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while going through treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter played on through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The World Championship arena when he turned out for the World Championships that year. When he passed away in autumn 2006, snooker's family-like circuit lost one of its best-loved members. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." A Foundation for the Future: Giving Back Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles but in community venues across the UK. The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to children all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas dropped significantly. "The goal was for a program to help get kids off the street," one organizer said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a major coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children globally. "He would have embraced what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a leading figure in the sport stated. Always Remembered: Two Decades On Historic matches of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "close to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's wonderful!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she concludes. "Before it would be tears, 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 ultimate trophy is ingrained in the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, begins later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his accomplishments, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is never forgotten.
The talented player won The Masters thrice during a brief yet brilliant career. Everything the young snooker player always wished to do was practice the game. A competitive passion, sparked at the very young age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his home's central table in his Leeds home, would result in a professional career that saw him claim half a dozen major wins in a six-year span. The present year marks a score of years since the beloved Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his 28th birthday. But despite the loss of a generational talent that rose above the game he loved, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who followed his career endure as vibrant now. 'He just loved it': The Formative Years "We could not have predicted in a lifetime the boy would become a pro on the circuit," Kristina Hunter says. "However he just was passionate about it." Hunter's father remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" other than snooker as a young boy. "His dedication was constant," he notes. "He competed every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the age of three. After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a nearby hall to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from home play with aplomb. His raw skill would be nurtured by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now defunct club in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Metoric Ascent: A Star is Born With his family's urging to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as training came first, his parents took the "risk" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on forging a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within half a decade, their adolescent had won his maior professional trophy, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the presence of elite players only, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. 'A Cheeky Charm': A Legacy of Character But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded. "He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody." "Upon meeting him you'd like him," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "witty, generous" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his easy charm, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'. Facing Adversity: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have been the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary dedication to fulfill commitments to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while going through treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter played on through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The World Championship arena when he turned out for the World Championships that year. When he passed away in autumn 2006, snooker's family-like circuit lost one of its best-loved members. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." A Foundation for the Future: Giving Back Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles but in community venues across the UK. The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to children all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas dropped significantly. "The goal was for a program to help get kids off the street," one organizer said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a major coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children globally. "He would have embraced what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a leading figure in the sport stated. Always Remembered: Two Decades On Historic matches of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "close to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's wonderful!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she concludes. "Before it would be tears, 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 ultimate trophy is ingrained in the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, begins later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his accomplishments, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is never forgotten.