🔗 Share this article 'Paul was fun': Reflecting on snooker's lost great 20 years on. The snooker star secured The Masters three times during a short but glittering career. Everything Paul Hunter always wished to do was play snooker. A competitive passion, developed at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his family's living room table in Leeds, would lead to a professional career that saw him win half a dozen major wins in a six-year span. The present year marks a score of years since the popular Hunter passed away from cancer, just days before to his birthday marking 28 years. But in spite of the loss 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 persist as strong as ever. 'He just loved it': A Childhood Obsession "We could not have predicted in a lifetime Paul would become a career sportsman," Kristina Hunter recalls. "However he just was passionate about it." His dad recounts how his son "cared little for anything else" except for snooker as a child. "His dedication was constant," he notes. "He competed every night after school." Early starter: Hunter was acquainted with snooker from the toddler years. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a community venue to play on professional-standard tables at the age of eight, the aspiring talent made the transition from home play with great skill. His raw skill would be developed by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: From Teenager to Champion With his parents' pleas to do his homework regularly going unheeded as training came first, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to building a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within a short period, their young son had won his first ranking title, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the presence of only the top competitors, Hunter was victorious three times, in the early 2000s. 'A Gracious Competitor': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "When encountering him you'd like him," Kristina states. "He brought joy. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had daughter Evie, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "humorous, caring" and "never the first to depart from the party". With his easy charm, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'. Facing Adversity: His Final Years In that year, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple accounts from across the snooker circuit attest to the man's extraordinary willingness to honor obligations to public appearances and promotional work, all while undergoing treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a tumultuous reception 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 cherished personalities. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to lose a child." An Enduring Legacy: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in high society but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The foundation he inspired, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to youths all over the country. The program was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas plummeted. "The aim remained for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a significant coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children globally. "Paul would have loved what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a senior official in the sport stated. Never Forgotten: A Lasting Presence Classic footage of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can bring it up and I can watch Paul at any moment," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We don't mind talking about Paul," she continues. "Before it would be tears, but I'd rather somebody talk than him not be spoken of." Although he never won the World Championship, the common opinion that Hunter would have gone on to lift snooker's greatest prize is ingrained in the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is most associated, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his achievements, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.
The snooker star secured The Masters three times during a short but glittering career. Everything Paul Hunter always wished to do was play snooker. A competitive passion, developed at the tender age of three with the help of a miniature snooker set on his family's living room table in Leeds, would lead to a professional career that saw him win half a dozen major wins in a six-year span. The present year marks a score of years since the popular Hunter passed away from cancer, just days before to his birthday marking 28 years. But in spite of the loss 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 persist as strong as ever. 'He just loved it': A Childhood Obsession "We could not have predicted in a lifetime Paul would become a career sportsman," Kristina Hunter recalls. "However he just was passionate about it." His dad recounts how his son "cared little for anything else" except for snooker as a child. "His dedication was constant," he notes. "He competed every night after school." Early starter: Hunter was acquainted with snooker from the toddler years. After successfully badgering his dad to take him to a community venue to play on professional-standard tables at the age of eight, the aspiring talent made the transition from home play with great skill. His raw skill would be developed by the 1986 World Champion Joe Johnson, from the adjacent city, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: From Teenager to Champion With his parents' pleas to do his homework regularly going unheeded as training came first, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the mid-teens to fully dedicate himself to building a career in the game. It was a resounding success. Within a short period, their young son had won his first ranking title, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the presence of only the top competitors, Hunter was victorious three times, in the early 2000s. 'A Gracious Competitor': The Man Behind the Cue But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded. "He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He connected with everybody." "When encountering him you'd like him," Kristina states. "He brought joy. He'd make you comfortable." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had daughter Evie, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "humorous, caring" and "never the first to depart from the party". With his easy charm, handsome features and honest interview style, not to mention his immense skill, Hunter quickly became snooker's pin-up for the new 21st Century. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'The Snooker World's Beckham'. Facing Adversity: His Final Years In that year, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple accounts from across the snooker circuit attest to the man's extraordinary willingness to honor obligations to public appearances and promotional work, all while undergoing treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a tumultuous reception 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 cherished personalities. "It is tragic," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to lose a child." An Enduring Legacy: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true legacy would be felt not in high society but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK. The foundation he inspired, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to youths all over the country. The program was so successful that, according to reports, issues with young people in some areas plummeted. "The aim remained for a scheme to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped pave the way for a significant coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children globally. "Paul would have loved what we've done with the sport and where it is today," a senior official in the sport stated. Never Forgotten: A Lasting Presence Classic footage of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can bring it up and I can watch Paul at any moment," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We don't mind talking about Paul," she continues. "Before it would be tears, but I'd rather somebody talk than him not be spoken of." Although he never won the World Championship, the common opinion that Hunter would have gone on to lift snooker's greatest prize is ingrained in the sport's history. The Masters, the competition with which he is most associated, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his achievements, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's character, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.