🔗 Share this article 'He brought laughter': Honoring the sport's taken talent 20 years on. The snooker star secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. Everything Paul Hunter truly desired to do was compete on the baize. A sporting bug, developed at the tender age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his home's central table in Leeds, would lead to a pro playing days that saw him secure six significant titles in six years. The present year marks a score of years since the popular 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 transcended the game he loved, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who were close to him endure as strong as ever. 'His passion was clear': A Childhood Obsession "It was impossible to foresee in a billion years the boy would become a professional snooker player," Kristina Hunter states. "Yet he just was passionate about it." His dad recounts how his son "cared little for anything else" other than snooker as a young boy. "He was relentless," he adds. "He would play every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the age of three. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a community venue to play on full-size tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from miniature games with aplomb. His natural ability would be nurtured by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now former establishment in the north Leeds suburb of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: A Star is Born With his parents' pleas to do his homework often being ignored as training came first, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully concentrate on building a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within five years, their young son had won his first ranking title, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the presence of only the top competitors, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Gracious Competitor': His Enduring Personality But for all his triumphs in the sport, away from the game Hunter's approachable nature never left him. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "Upon meeting him you'd like him," Kristina continues. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's wife Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "humorous, caring" and "never the first to depart from the party". With his effortless appeal, boyish good looks and straight-talking media manner, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's poster boy for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'. A Brave Battle: A Fight Against Cancer In the mid-2000s, a year that should have been the height of his career, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple accounts from across the professional tour attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to honor obligations to exhibitions, events and press interviews, all while undergoing treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he died in October 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its most popular brothers. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." A Lasting Impact: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true contribution would be felt not in high society but in local sports centers across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to children all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas plummeted. "The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped pave the way 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 leading figure in the sport stated. Never Forgotten: 20 Years Later Archive videos of their son's matches online help his parents stay "close to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "Before it would be tears, but I'd rather somebody talk than him not be mentioned at all." Even though he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion that Hunter would have secured snooker's top honor is ingrained in the sport's legend. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, starts 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 snooker star secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. Everything Paul Hunter truly desired to do was compete on the baize. A sporting bug, developed at the tender age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his home's central table in Leeds, would lead to a pro playing days that saw him secure six significant titles in six years. The present year marks a score of years since the popular 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 transcended the game he loved, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who were close to him endure as strong as ever. 'His passion was clear': A Childhood Obsession "It was impossible to foresee in a billion years the boy would become a professional snooker player," Kristina Hunter states. "Yet he just was passionate about it." His dad recounts how his son "cared little for anything else" other than snooker as a young boy. "He was relentless," he adds. "He would play every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the age of three. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a community venue to play on full-size tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the jump from miniature games with aplomb. His natural ability would be nurtured by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now former establishment in the north Leeds suburb of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: A Star is Born With his parents' pleas to do his homework often being ignored as training came first, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully concentrate on building a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within five years, their young son had won his first ranking title, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the presence of only the top competitors, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Gracious Competitor': His Enduring Personality But for all his triumphs in the sport, away from the game Hunter's approachable nature never left him. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "Upon meeting him you'd like him," Kristina continues. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's wife Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "humorous, caring" and "never the first to depart from the party". With his effortless appeal, boyish good looks and straight-talking media manner, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's poster boy for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'. A Brave Battle: A Fight Against Cancer In the mid-2000s, a year that should have been the height of his career, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple accounts from across the professional tour attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to honor obligations to exhibitions, events and press interviews, all while undergoing treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he died in October 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its most popular brothers. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." A Lasting Impact: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true contribution would be felt not in high society but in local sports centers across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to children all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas plummeted. "The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped pave the way 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 leading figure in the sport stated. Never Forgotten: 20 Years Later Archive videos of their son's matches online help his parents stay "close to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "Before it would be tears, but I'd rather somebody talk than him not be mentioned at all." Even though he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion that Hunter would have secured snooker's top honor is ingrained in the sport's legend. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, starts 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.