🔗 Share this article 'He brought laughter': Remembering the game's departed star a score of years on. The talented player secured The Masters thrice during a compact but stellar career. All Paul Hunter truly desired to do was practice the game. A love for the game, developed at the age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his parents' coffee table in his Leeds home, would result in a professional career that saw him win six major trophies in six years. The present year marks 20 years 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 transcended the game he loved, his enduring mark on the game and those who were close to him endure as strong as ever. 'His passion was clear': Early Beginnings "We'd never have known in a million years the boy would become a professional snooker player," Kristina Hunter says. "However he just adored it." Hunter's father recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" besides snooker as a youth. "He was relentless," he adds. "He practiced every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the toddler years. After repeatedly pleading with 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 leap from miniature games with remarkable ease. His natural ability would be developed by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now closed venue in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Quick Success: The Path to Glory With his parents' pleas to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as training came first, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on forging a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their young son had won his initial major win, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the presence of exclusively the best, Hunter won 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 approachable nature never deserted him. "He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "Upon meeting him you'd like him," Kristina continues. "He brought joy. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" 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 prodigious ability, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the new millennium. No wonder then, that he was christened 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Facing Adversity: His Final Years In the mid-2000s, a year that should have marked the peak of his powers, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary dedication to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while enduring treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a tumultuous reception at The World Championship arena when he played at the World Championships that year. When he passed away in October 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its best-loved members. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." An Enduring Legacy: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in royal circles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The foundation he inspired, set up before his death, would provide no-cost coaching to children all over the country. The program was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas fell sharply. "The goal was for a program to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a major coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children internationally. "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: Two Decades On 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 at any moment," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "Before it would be tears, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be mentioned at all." Even though he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion 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 associated, commences later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his accomplishments, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.
The talented player secured The Masters thrice during a compact but stellar career. All Paul Hunter truly desired to do was practice the game. A love for the game, developed at the age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his parents' coffee table in his Leeds home, would result in a professional career that saw him win six major trophies in six years. The present year marks 20 years 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 transcended the game he loved, his enduring mark on the game and those who were close to him endure as strong as ever. 'His passion was clear': Early Beginnings "We'd never have known in a million years the boy would become a professional snooker player," Kristina Hunter says. "However he just adored it." Hunter's father recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" besides snooker as a youth. "He was relentless," he adds. "He practiced every night after school." A prodigy: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the toddler years. After repeatedly pleading with 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 leap from miniature games with remarkable ease. His natural ability would be developed by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now closed venue in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Quick Success: The Path to Glory With his parents' pleas to do his homework increasingly falling on deaf ears as training came first, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully focus on forging a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their young son had won his initial major win, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's most difficult competitions to win because of the presence of exclusively the best, Hunter won 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 approachable nature never deserted him. "He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "Upon meeting him you'd like him," Kristina continues. "He brought joy. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a daughter, describes him as an "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" 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 prodigious ability, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the new millennium. No wonder then, that he was christened 'The Beckham of the Baize'. Facing Adversity: His Final Years In the mid-2000s, a year that should have marked the peak of his powers, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple anecdotes from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary dedication to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while enduring treatment. Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a tumultuous reception at The World Championship arena when he played at the World Championships that year. When he passed away in October 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its best-loved members. "The pain is immense," Kristina says. "It is a terrible thing for any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." An Enduring Legacy: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in royal circles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The foundation he inspired, set up before his death, would provide no-cost coaching to children all over the country. The program was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas fell sharply. "The goal was for a program to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a major coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children internationally. "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: Two Decades On 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 at any moment," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "Before it would be tears, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be mentioned at all." Even though he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion 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 associated, commences later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup. But for all his accomplishments, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.