đź”— Share this article 'He brought laughter': Remembering snooker's taken talent 20 years on. The talented player secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. Everything the young snooker player truly desired to do was practice the game. A love for the game, caught at the tender age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his home's central table in the city of Leeds, would result in a life on the tour that saw him win six significant titles in half a dozen years. The present year marks 20 years since the adored Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the loss of a once-in-a-generation player that went beyond the sport he adored, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who were close to him remain as powerful today. 'The game was his life': The Formative Years "It was impossible to foresee in a billion years our son would become a pro on the circuit," his mother says. "However he just was passionate about it." Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" other than snooker as a child. "His dedication was constant," he notes. "He would play every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the toddler years. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a community venue to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from miniature games with remarkable ease. His natural ability would be coached by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the area of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: A Star is Born 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 mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to carving out a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within half a decade, their young son had won his maior professional trophy, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the involvement of exclusively the best, Hunter won on three occasions, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. 'Paul was fun': His Enduring Personality But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never deserted him. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "If you met him you'd enjoy his company," Kristina adds. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had daughter Evie, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "never the first to depart from 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 leading figure for the new millennium. No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Courage in Crisis: His Final Years In the mid-2000s, a year that should have marked the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple stories from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary willingness to fulfill commitments to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while enduring treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter kept playing through the illness and received a standing ovation at The Crucible Theatre when he played at the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in autumn 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its most popular brothers. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to lose a child." A Foundation for the Future: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in palaces and castles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to youths all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas plummeted. "The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one organizer said. The Foundation helped establish the basis for a huge coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children all over the world. "It would have thrilled him what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a senior official in the sport stated. Never Forgotten: A Lasting Presence Archive videos of their son's matches online help his parents stay "in touch with his memory". "I can access it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We don't mind talking about Paul," she continues. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be recalled." Even though he never won the World Championship, the common opinion that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's greatest prize is a part of the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the Paul Hunter Trophy. But for all his accomplishments, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.
The talented player secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. Everything the young snooker player truly desired to do was practice the game. A love for the game, caught at the tender age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his home's central table in the city of Leeds, would result in a life on the tour that saw him win six significant titles in half a dozen years. The present year marks 20 years since the adored Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the loss of a once-in-a-generation player that went beyond the sport he adored, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who were close to him remain as powerful today. 'The game was his life': The Formative Years "It was impossible to foresee in a billion years our son would become a pro on the circuit," his mother says. "However he just was passionate about it." Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" other than snooker as a child. "His dedication was constant," he notes. "He would play every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the toddler years. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a community venue to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from miniature games with remarkable ease. His natural ability would be coached by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the area of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: A Star is Born 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 mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to carving out a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within half a decade, their young son had won his maior professional trophy, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the involvement of exclusively the best, Hunter won on three occasions, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. 'Paul was fun': His Enduring Personality But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never deserted him. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "If you met him you'd enjoy his company," Kristina adds. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had daughter Evie, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "never the first to depart from 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 leading figure for the new millennium. No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Courage in Crisis: His Final Years In the mid-2000s, a year that should have marked the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple stories from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary willingness to fulfill commitments to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while enduring treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter kept playing through the illness and received a standing ovation at The Crucible Theatre when he played at the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in autumn 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its most popular brothers. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to lose a child." A Foundation for the Future: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in palaces and castles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to youths all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas plummeted. "The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one organizer said. The Foundation helped establish the basis for a huge coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children all over the world. "It would have thrilled him what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a senior official in the sport stated. Never Forgotten: A Lasting Presence Archive videos of their son's matches online help his parents stay "in touch with his memory". "I can access it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We don't mind talking about Paul," she continues. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be recalled." Even though he never won the World Championship, the common opinion that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's greatest prize is a part of the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the Paul Hunter Trophy. But for all his accomplishments, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.