🔗 Share this article 'He was a joy': Reflecting on the game's departed star 20 years on. Paul Hunter won The Masters on three occasions during a short but glittering career. All the young snooker player always wished to do was practice the game. A sporting bug, sparked at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his family's living room table in the city of Leeds, would result in a professional career that saw him claim six significant titles in six years. This year marks a score of years since the adored Hunter succumbed to cancer, mere days prior to his birthday marking 28 years. But despite the loss of a generational talent that transcended the pastime he cherished, his legacy and impact on the sport and those who knew him endure as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': Early Beginnings "We could not have predicted in a million years our son would become a career sportsman," Hunter's mum recalls. "Yet he just was passionate about it." His dad recounts how his son "showed no interest in anything else" besides snooker as a child. "His dedication was constant," he says. "He practiced 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 nearby hall to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the leap from table top snooker with great skill. His mercurial talent would be coached by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from neighbouring Bradford, at a now closed venue in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: From Teenager to Champion With his family's urging to do his homework often being ignored as practice took priority, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on building a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within a short period, their young son had won his maior professional trophy, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the involvement of exclusively the best, Hunter was victorious on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Gracious Competitor': His Enduring Personality But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never deserted him. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody." "If you met him you'd enjoy his company," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's wife Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "witty, generous" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his natural likability, boyish good looks and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Facing Adversity: A Fight Against Cancer In the mid-2000s, a year that should have marked the peak of his powers, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple stories from across the professional tour highlight the man's extraordinary commitment to fulfill commitments to public appearances and promotional work, all while going through treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he died in autumn 2006, snooker's family-like circuit lost one of its best-loved members. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." An Enduring Legacy: Giving Back Hunter's true impact would be felt not in royal circles but in community venues across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to young people all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas fell sharply. "The goal was for a scheme to help get kids off the street," one organizer said. The Foundation helped lay the groundwork for a huge coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children all over the world. "Paul would have loved what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a chairman in the sport stated. Forever in Memory: 20 Years Later Historic matches of their son's matches online help his parents stay "close to him". "I can bring it up and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she adds. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be mentioned at all." While he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's greatest prize is etched into the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his successes, a generation after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is always remembered.
Paul Hunter won The Masters on three occasions during a short but glittering career. All the young snooker player always wished to do was practice the game. A sporting bug, sparked at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his family's living room table in the city of Leeds, would result in a professional career that saw him claim six significant titles in six years. This year marks a score of years since the adored Hunter succumbed to cancer, mere days prior to his birthday marking 28 years. But despite the loss of a generational talent that transcended the pastime he cherished, his legacy and impact on the sport and those who knew him endure as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': Early Beginnings "We could not have predicted in a million years our son would become a career sportsman," Hunter's mum recalls. "Yet he just was passionate about it." His dad recounts how his son "showed no interest in anything else" besides snooker as a child. "His dedication was constant," he says. "He practiced 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 nearby hall to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the leap from table top snooker with great skill. His mercurial talent would be coached by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from neighbouring Bradford, at a now closed venue in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: From Teenager to Champion With his family's urging to do his homework often being ignored as practice took priority, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on building a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within a short period, their young son had won his maior professional trophy, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the involvement of exclusively the best, Hunter was victorious on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Gracious Competitor': His Enduring Personality But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never deserted him. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody." "If you met him you'd enjoy his company," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's wife Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "witty, generous" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his natural likability, boyish good looks and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Facing Adversity: A Fight Against Cancer In the mid-2000s, a year that should have marked the peak of his powers, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple stories from across the professional tour highlight the man's extraordinary commitment to fulfill commitments to public appearances and promotional work, all while going through treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he died in autumn 2006, snooker's family-like circuit lost one of its best-loved members. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." An Enduring Legacy: Giving Back Hunter's true impact would be felt not in royal circles but in community venues across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to young people all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas fell sharply. "The goal was for a scheme to help get kids off the street," one organizer said. The Foundation helped lay the groundwork for a huge coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children all over the world. "Paul would have loved what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a chairman in the sport stated. Forever in Memory: 20 Years Later Historic matches of their son's matches online help his parents stay "close to him". "I can bring it up and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she adds. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be mentioned at all." While he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's greatest prize is etched into the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his successes, a generation after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is always remembered.