đź”— Share this article 'He was a joy': Remembering the game's departed star two decades on. The snooker star won The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. All the young snooker player truly desired to do was practice the game. A sporting bug, developed at the very young age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his home's central table in the city of Leeds, would culminate in a life on the tour that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years. The present year marks two decades since the adored Hunter succumbed to cancer, mere days prior to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a phenomenal skill that transcended the game he loved, his enduring mark on the game and those who followed his career endure as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': The Formative Years "It was impossible to foresee in a lifetime our son would become a career sportsman," Kristina Hunter says. "But he just was passionate about it." Alan Hunter remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" other than snooker as a youth. "He was relentless," he notes. "He competed every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the very young age. After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a nearby hall to play on professional-standard tables at the age of eight, the young Hunter made the jump from table top snooker with aplomb. His raw skill would be coached by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the area of Yeadon. Quick Success: The Path to Glory With his mother and father's requests to do his homework regularly going unheeded as the game dominated, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within five years, their adolescent had won his maior professional trophy, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter triumphed three times, in the early 2000s. 'A Gracious Competitor': His Enduring Personality But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never faded. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina continues. "Paul was fun. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's widow Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "always the last to leave the party". With his effortless appeal, youthful appearance and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's poster boy for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was christened 'A Sporting Icon'. A Brave Battle: His Final Years In 2005, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple accounts from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary willingness to fulfill commitments to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while undergoing treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in the mid-2000s, 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." A Foundation for the Future: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles 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, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted. "The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one official said. The Foundation helped establish the basis for a significant coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children internationally. "Paul would have loved 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 via the internet help his parents stay "close to him". "I can access it and I can watch Paul at any moment," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she concludes. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be spoken of." While he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's greatest prize is ingrained in the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, begins later this month. The winner will lift the Paul Hunter Trophy. But for all his achievements, a generation 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 snooker star won The Masters on three occasions during a compact but stellar career. All the young snooker player truly desired to do was practice the game. A sporting bug, developed at the very young age of three with the help of a small snooker set on his home's central table in the city of Leeds, would culminate in a life on the tour that saw him secure half a dozen major wins in half a dozen years. The present year marks two decades since the adored Hunter succumbed to cancer, mere days prior to his birthday marking 28 years. But notwithstanding the tragic departure of a phenomenal skill that transcended the game he loved, his enduring mark on the game and those who followed his career endure as vibrant now. 'His passion was clear': The Formative Years "It was impossible to foresee in a lifetime our son would become a career sportsman," Kristina Hunter says. "But he just was passionate about it." Alan Hunter remembers how his son "showed no interest in anything else" other than snooker as a youth. "He was relentless," he notes. "He competed every night after school." Beginning young: Hunter was introduced to snooker from the very young age. After repeatedly pleading with his dad to take him to a nearby hall to play on professional-standard tables at the age of eight, the young Hunter made the jump from table top snooker with aplomb. His raw skill would be coached by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from nearby Bradford, at a now former establishment in the area of Yeadon. Quick Success: The Path to Glory With his mother and father's requests to do his homework regularly going unheeded as the game dominated, his parents took the "gamble" of taking Hunter out of school at the age of 14 to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game. It proved a masterstroke. Within five years, their adolescent had won his maior professional trophy, the 1998 Welsh Open. Considered one of snooker's toughest events to win because of the lineup featuring exclusively the best, Hunter triumphed three times, in the early 2000s. 'A Gracious Competitor': His Enduring Personality But for all his achievements in competition, away from the game Hunter's down-to-earth charisma never faded. "His demeanor was excellent did Paul," Alan says. "He got on with everybody." "If you met him you'd take to him," Kristina continues. "Paul was fun. He'd make you relaxed." Hunter's widow Lindsey, with whom he had a child, describes him as an "incredible, lively, and kind spirit" who was "humorous, caring" and "always the last to leave the party". With his effortless appeal, youthful appearance and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's poster boy for the modern era. No wonder then, that he was christened 'A Sporting Icon'. A Brave Battle: His Final Years In 2005, a year that should have been the peak of his powers, Hunter was diagnosed with cancer and would later undergo cancer therapy. Multiple accounts from across the snooker circuit highlight the man's extraordinary willingness to fulfill commitments to charity matches, tournaments, and media duties, all while undergoing treatment. Despite gruelling side effects, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a standing ovation at The World Championship arena when he competed in the World Championships that year. When he succumbed in the mid-2000s, 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." A Foundation for the Future: Inspiring Youth Hunter's true impact would be felt not in palaces and castles 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, local youth crime rates in some areas plummeted. "The idea was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one official said. The Foundation helped establish the basis for a significant coaching programme, which has extended playing opportunities to children internationally. "Paul would have loved 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 via the internet help his parents stay "close to him". "I can access it and I can watch Paul at any moment," Kristina says. "It's marvellous!" "We are happy to speak about Paul," she concludes. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody mention him than him not be spoken of." While he never won the World Championship, the highly probable notion that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's greatest prize is ingrained in the sport's folklore. The Masters, the competition with which he is forever linked, begins later this month. The winner will lift the Paul Hunter Trophy. But for all his achievements, a generation after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his brilliant talent on the table, that will ensure he is never forgotten.