🔗 Share this article 'He was a joy': Reflecting on the sport's departed star a score of years on. The talented player secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. All Paul Hunter always wished to do was compete on the baize. A competitive passion, sparked at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his home's central table in his Leeds home, would culminate in a professional career that saw him win half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years. The present year marks two decades since the adored Hunter died from cancer, days short to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a once-in-a-generation player that went beyond the pastime he cherished, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who were close to him remain as strong as ever. 'His passion was clear': The Formative Years "We could not have predicted in a billion years Paul would become a professional snooker player," Kristina Hunter states. "Yet he just adored it." Hunter's father remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" other than snooker as a child. "He was relentless," he says. "He practiced every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was acquainted with snooker from the very young age. After persistently asking his dad to take him to a nearby hall to play on full-size tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from home play with great skill. His mercurial talent would be developed by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the north Leeds suburb of Yeadon. Quick Success: From Teenager to Champion 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 mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within five years, their young son had won his initial major win, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the involvement of only the top competitors, Hunter won a trio of times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. 'Paul was fun': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never left him. "He had a great temperament 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 feel at ease." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had daughter Evie, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "witty, generous" and "never the first to depart from the party". With his easy charm, boyish good looks and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was christened 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Courage in Crisis: His Final Years In 2005, a year that should have signaled the height of his career, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple accounts from across the professional tour highlight the man's extraordinary dedication to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while undergoing treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter played on through the illness and received a standing ovation at The famous Sheffield venue when he turned out for the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in the mid-2000s, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its best-loved members. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to lose a child." An Enduring Legacy: Giving Back Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in royal circles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to young people all over the country. The initiative was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas fell sharply. "The idea was for a scheme to help get kids off the street," one organizer said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a significant coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children globally. "Paul would have loved what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a chairman in the sport stated. Always Remembered: A Lasting Presence Classic footage of their son's matches via the internet help his parents stay "in touch with his memory". "I can access it and I can watch Paul at any moment," 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 spoken of." Even though he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have gone on to lift snooker's greatest prize is a part of the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his achievements, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is forever celebrated.
The talented player secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. All Paul Hunter always wished to do was compete on the baize. A competitive passion, sparked at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his home's central table in his Leeds home, would culminate in a professional career that saw him win half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years. The present year marks two decades since the adored Hunter died from cancer, days short to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a once-in-a-generation player that went beyond the pastime he cherished, his legacy and impact on snooker and those who were close to him remain as strong as ever. 'His passion was clear': The Formative Years "We could not have predicted in a billion years Paul would become a professional snooker player," Kristina Hunter states. "Yet he just adored it." Hunter's father remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" other than snooker as a child. "He was relentless," he says. "He practiced every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was acquainted with snooker from the very young age. After persistently asking his dad to take him to a nearby hall to play on full-size tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from home play with great skill. His mercurial talent would be developed by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the north Leeds suburb of Yeadon. Quick Success: From Teenager to Champion 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 mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within five years, their young son had won his initial major win, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the involvement of only the top competitors, Hunter won a trio of times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004. 'Paul was fun': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never left him. "He had a great temperament 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 feel at ease." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had daughter Evie, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "witty, generous" and "never the first to depart from the party". With his easy charm, boyish good looks and honest interview style, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was christened 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Courage in Crisis: His Final Years In 2005, a year that should have signaled the height of his career, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple accounts from across the professional tour highlight the man's extraordinary dedication to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while undergoing treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter played on through the illness and received a standing ovation at The famous Sheffield venue when he turned out for the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in the mid-2000s, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its best-loved members. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to lose a child." An Enduring Legacy: Giving Back Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in royal circles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The Paul Hunter Foundation, set up before his death, would provide accessible training to young people all over the country. The initiative was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas fell sharply. "The idea was for a scheme to help get kids off the street," one organizer said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a significant coaching programme, which has opened up playing opportunities to children globally. "Paul would have loved what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a chairman in the sport stated. Always Remembered: A Lasting Presence Classic footage of their son's matches via the internet help his parents stay "in touch with his memory". "I can access it and I can watch Paul at any moment," 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 spoken of." Even though he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have gone on to lift snooker's greatest prize is a part of the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his achievements, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is forever celebrated.