🔗 Share this article 'He brought laughter': Remembering the game's lost great a score of years on. Paul Hunter secured The Masters three times during a brief yet brilliant career. All Paul Hunter always wished to do was play snooker. A competitive passion, sparked at the very young age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his home's central table in his Leeds home, would result in a pro playing days that saw him secure six major trophies in a six-year span. This year marks two decades since the beloved Hunter died from cancer, days short to his birthday marking 28 years. But in spite of the loss of a generational talent that transcended the game he loved, his influence and memory on the game and those who were close to him persist as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': Early Beginnings "We'd never have known in a billion years Paul would become a professional snooker player," Hunter's mum says. "However he just adored it." Hunter's father recounts how his son "cared little for anything else" other than snooker as a young boy. "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 nearby hall to play on full-size tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from miniature games with great skill. His natural ability would be nurtured by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: The Path to Glory With his family's urging to do his homework often being ignored as training came first, his parents took the "risk" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their young son had won his first ranking title, the late-nineties Welsh championship. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the presence of elite players only, Hunter was victorious on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': His Enduring Personality But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded. "He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody." "If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina states. "Paul was fun. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "witty, generous" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his natural likability, handsome features and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new millennium. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'A Sporting Icon'. Courage in Crisis: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have signaled the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple accounts from across the sporting world highlight the man's extraordinary willingness to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while going through treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter played on through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he turned out for the World Championships that year. When he died in the mid-2000s, snooker's tight community lost one of its best-loved members. "It's awful," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." An Enduring Legacy: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles 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, issues with young people in some areas fell sharply. "The aim remained for a program to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped establish the basis for a major 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 leading figure in the sport stated. Always Remembered: 20 Years Later Classic footage of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We like to reminisce about Paul," she continues. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be recalled." Even though 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 folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his successes, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his spectacular skill with a cue, that will ensure he is never forgotten.
Paul Hunter secured The Masters three times during a brief yet brilliant career. All Paul Hunter always wished to do was play snooker. A competitive passion, sparked at the very young age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his home's central table in his Leeds home, would result in a pro playing days that saw him secure six major trophies in a six-year span. This year marks two decades since the beloved Hunter died from cancer, days short to his birthday marking 28 years. But in spite of the loss of a generational talent that transcended the game he loved, his influence and memory on the game and those who were close to him persist as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': Early Beginnings "We'd never have known in a billion years Paul would become a professional snooker player," Hunter's mum says. "However he just adored it." Hunter's father recounts how his son "cared little for anything else" other than snooker as a young boy. "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 nearby hall to play on full-size tables at the age of eight, the budding player made the transition from miniature games with great skill. His natural ability would be nurtured by the former world title holder Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the Leeds district of Yeadon. Rapid Rise: The Path to Glory With his family's urging to do his homework often being ignored as training came first, his parents took the "risk" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game. It paid off in spades. Within half a decade, their young son had won his first ranking title, the late-nineties Welsh championship. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the presence of elite players only, Hunter was victorious on three occasions, in consecutive years. 'A Cheeky Charm': His Enduring Personality But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded. "He had a great temperament did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody." "If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina states. "Paul was fun. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's partner Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "wonderful, youthful, and fun personality" who was "witty, generous" and "typically the final guest at the party". With his natural likability, handsome features and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's leading figure for the new millennium. No wonder then, that he was dubbed 'A Sporting Icon'. Courage in Crisis: Illness and Resilience In that year, a year that should have signaled the zenith of his talent, Hunter was told he had cancer and would later undergo aggressive treatment. Multiple accounts from across the sporting world highlight the man's extraordinary willingness to keep promises to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while going through treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter played on through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he turned out for the World Championships that year. When he died in the mid-2000s, snooker's tight community lost one of its best-loved members. "It's awful," Kristina says. "I wouldn't wish any mum and dad to suffer such a loss." An Enduring Legacy: The Paul Hunter Foundation Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles 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, issues with young people in some areas fell sharply. "The aim remained for a program to help provide a positive outlet," one coach said. The Foundation helped establish the basis for a major 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 leading figure in the sport stated. Always Remembered: 20 Years Later Classic footage of their son's matches on YouTube help his parents stay "connected to him". "I can watch it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!" "We like to reminisce about Paul," she continues. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody remember him than him not be recalled." Even though 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 folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, begins later this month. The winner will lift the trophy named in his honor. But for all his successes, 20 years after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his spectacular skill with a cue, that will ensure he is never forgotten.