🔗 Share this article 'He was a joy': Reflecting on snooker's taken talent a score of years on. The talented player won The Masters thrice during a brief yet brilliant career. Everything the Leeds-born talent ever wanted to do was play snooker. A love for the game, developed at the tender age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his family's living room table in Leeds, would culminate in a life on the tour that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years. Now marks two decades since the popular Hunter passed away from cancer, just days before to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a generational talent that rose above the pastime he cherished, his legacy and impact on the sport and those who were close to him remain as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': A Childhood Obsession "We could not have predicted in a billion years our son would become a pro on the circuit," Kristina Hunter says. "Yet he just adored it." Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" except for snooker as a child. "He never stopped," he says. "He would play every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the age of three. 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 aplomb. His raw skill would be developed by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from neighbouring 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 regularly going unheeded as the game dominated, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the fourteen years old to fully dedicate himself to building a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their still-teenage 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 involvement of exclusively the best, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': His Enduring Personality But for all his triumphs in the sport, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never deserted him. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "When encountering him you'd take to him," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you feel at ease." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "witty, generous" and "always the last to leave the party". With his easy charm, youthful appearance and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. A Brave Battle: A Fight Against Cancer In 2005, a year that should have marked the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to honor obligations to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while enduring treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter played on through the illness and received a standing ovation at The famous Sheffield venue when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in autumn 2006, snooker's tight community lost one of its cherished personalities. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." A Lasting Impact: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in high society but in community venues across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to children all over the country. The program was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted. "The aim remained for a platform 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 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. Always Remembered: A Lasting Presence Historic matches of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can access it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We like to reminisce about Paul," she adds. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be recalled." Although he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's top honor is etched into the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, commences later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his successes, a generation after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is always remembered.
The talented player won The Masters thrice during a brief yet brilliant career. Everything the Leeds-born talent ever wanted to do was play snooker. A love for the game, developed at the tender age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his family's living room table in Leeds, would culminate in a life on the tour that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years. Now marks two decades since the popular Hunter passed away from cancer, just days before to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a generational talent that rose above the pastime he cherished, his legacy and impact on the sport and those who were close to him remain as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': A Childhood Obsession "We could not have predicted in a billion years our son would become a pro on the circuit," Kristina Hunter says. "Yet he just adored it." Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" except for snooker as a child. "He never stopped," he says. "He would play every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was familiar with snooker from the age of three. 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 aplomb. His raw skill would be developed by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from neighbouring 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 regularly going unheeded as the game dominated, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the fourteen years old to fully dedicate himself to building a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their still-teenage 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 involvement of exclusively the best, Hunter triumphed on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': His Enduring Personality But for all his triumphs in the sport, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never deserted him. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "When encountering him you'd take to him," Kristina adds. "He brought joy. He'd make you feel at ease." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "witty, generous" and "always the last to leave the party". With his easy charm, youthful appearance and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. A Brave Battle: A Fight Against Cancer In 2005, a year that should have marked the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to honor obligations to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while enduring treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter played on through the illness and received a standing ovation at The famous Sheffield venue when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in autumn 2006, snooker's tight community lost one of its cherished personalities. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." A Lasting Impact: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in high society but in community venues across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to children all over the country. The program was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted. "The aim remained for a platform 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 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. Always Remembered: A Lasting Presence Historic matches of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can access it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We like to reminisce about Paul," she adds. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be recalled." Although he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's top honor is etched into the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, commences later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his successes, a generation after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is always remembered.