🔗 Share this article 'He was a joy': Reflecting on the sport's lost great a score of years on. Paul Hunter secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. All the young snooker player always wished to do was practice the game. A competitive passion, caught at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his home's central table in Leeds, would result in a pro playing days that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in a six-year span. Now marks 20 years since the beloved Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his 28th birthday. But in spite of the tragic departure of a phenomenal skill that went beyond the game he loved, his influence and memory on the game 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 our son would become a career sportsman," his mother states. "Yet he just adored it." His dad remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" except for snooker as a child. "He never stopped," he says. "He competed every night after school." Early starter: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the very young age. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a local club to play on professional-standard tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from miniature games with remarkable ease. His mercurial talent would be coached by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from neighbouring Bradford, at a now closed venue in the north Leeds suburb of Yeadon. Metoric Ascent: From Teenager to Champion With his parents' pleas to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as training came first, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on carving out a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their adolescent had won his first ranking title, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter won a trio of times, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's approachable nature never faded. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "If you met him you'd like him," Kristina states. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "witty, generous" and "always the last to leave the party". With his natural likability, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. A Brave Battle: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple anecdotes from across the professional tour attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while going through 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 passed away in the mid-2000s, snooker's tight community lost one of its best-loved members. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to lose a child." An Enduring Legacy: Giving Back Hunter's true impact 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 no-cost coaching to youths all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted. "The aim remained for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one official said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a significant coaching programme, which has provided 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: 20 Years Later Classic footage of their son's matches online help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's wonderful!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be mentioned at all." Although he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have secured snooker's greatest prize is etched into the sport's legend. The Masters, the competition with which he is most associated, commences 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 spirit, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is forever celebrated.
Paul Hunter secured The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. All the young snooker player always wished to do was practice the game. A competitive passion, caught at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his home's central table in Leeds, would result in a pro playing days that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in a six-year span. Now marks 20 years since the beloved Hunter passed away from cancer, mere days prior to his 28th birthday. But in spite of the tragic departure of a phenomenal skill that went beyond the game he loved, his influence and memory on the game 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 our son would become a career sportsman," his mother states. "Yet he just adored it." His dad remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" except for snooker as a child. "He never stopped," he says. "He competed every night after school." Early starter: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the very young age. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a local club to play on professional-standard tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from miniature games with remarkable ease. His mercurial talent would be coached by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from neighbouring Bradford, at a now closed venue in the north Leeds suburb of Yeadon. Metoric Ascent: From Teenager to Champion With his parents' pleas to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as training came first, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on carving out a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their adolescent had won his first ranking title, the Welsh Open of 1998. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter won a trio of times, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's approachable nature never faded. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "If you met him you'd like him," Kristina states. "He was enjoyable. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "witty, generous" and "always the last to leave the party". With his natural likability, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'The Beckham of the Baize'. A Brave Battle: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple anecdotes from across the professional tour attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while going through 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 passed away in the mid-2000s, snooker's tight community lost one of its best-loved members. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to lose a child." An Enduring Legacy: Giving Back Hunter's true impact 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 no-cost coaching to youths all over the country. The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted. "The aim remained for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one official said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a significant coaching programme, which has provided 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: 20 Years Later Classic footage of their son's matches online help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul anytime," Kristina says. "It's wonderful!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "Initially it was painful, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be mentioned at all." Although he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have secured snooker's greatest prize is etched into the sport's legend. The Masters, the competition with which he is most associated, commences 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 spirit, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is forever celebrated.