'He brought laughter': Remembering snooker's taken talent two decades on.
Everything the young snooker player truly desired to do was practice the game.
A competitive passion, sparked at the age of three with the help of a tiny snooker set on his family's living room table in the city of Leeds, would result in a professional career that saw him claim six major trophies in six years.
This year marks two decades since the beloved Hunter succumbed to cancer, days short to his 28th birthday.
But in spite of the loss of a generational talent that transcended the sport he adored, his legacy and impact on the sport and those who were close to him persist as strong as ever.
'The game was his life': A Childhood Obsession
"It was impossible to foresee in a million years Paul would become a career sportsman," Kristina Hunter states.
"Yet he just adored it."
Alan Hunter recalls how his son "wasn't bothered about anything else" other than snooker as a young boy.
"He was relentless," he notes. "He practiced every night after school."
After persistently asking his dad to take him to a local club to play on regulation tables at the age of eight, the young Hunter made the transition from home play with great skill.
His raw skill would be coached by the snooker legend Joe Johnson, from neighbouring Bradford, at a now former establishment 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 the game dominated, his parents took the "chance" of taking Hunter out of school at the fourteen years old to fully dedicate himself to forging a career in the game.
It was a resounding success. Within half a decade, their still-teenage son had won his maior professional trophy, the Welsh Open of 1998.
Considered one of snooker's hardest tournaments to win because of the involvement of only the top competitors, Hunter was victorious a trio of times, in 2001, 2002 and 2004.
'Paul was fun': His Enduring Personality
But for all his success on the table, away from the game Hunter's humble charm never faded.
"He was incredibly composed did Paul," Alan says. "He was liked by everybody."
"When encountering 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 "amazing, young cheeky beautiful soul" who was "humorous, caring" and "typically the final guest at the party".
With his easy charm, handsome features and candid way with the press, not to mention his considerable talent, Hunter quickly became snooker's poster boy for the new millennium.
No wonder then, that he was nicknamed 'A Sporting Icon'.
A Brave Battle: A Fight Against Cancer
In the mid-2000s, a year that should have signaled the peak of his powers, Hunter was found to have cancer and would later undergo chemotherapy.
Multiple anecdotes from across the professional tour attest to the man's extraordinary commitment to honor obligations to exhibitions, events and press interviews, all while enduring treatment.
Despite harsh reactions, Hunter continued to compete through the illness and received a rapturous applause at The famous Sheffield venue when he competed in the World Championships that year.
When he died in October 2006, snooker's close-knit fraternity lost one of its best-loved members.
"It is tragic," Kristina says. "No parent should experience any mum and dad to go through that pain."
A Foundation for the Future: Giving Back
Hunter's true contribution would be felt not in palaces and castles but in snooker halls and clubs across the UK.
The charity in his name, set up before his death, would provide free snooker sessions to young people all over the country.
The scheme was so successful that, according to reports, anti-social behavior in some areas plummeted.
"The goal was for a platform to help provide a positive outlet," one official said.
The Foundation helped lay the groundwork for a significant coaching programme, which has provided 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.
Forever in Memory: 20 Years Later
Archive videos of their son's matches via the internet help his parents stay "close to him".
"I can watch it and I can watch Paul whenever I wish," Kristina says. "It's a comfort!"
"We are happy to speak about Paul," she continues. "At first it was sad, but I'd rather somebody talk than him not be spoken of."
Even though he never won the World Championship, the widespread belief that Hunter would have eventually won snooker's ultimate trophy is a part of the sport's folklore.
The Masters, the competition with which he is most synonymous, commences later this month. The winner will lift the memorial cup.
But for all his successes, two decades after his death it is Paul Hunter's personality, as much his dazzling snooker ability, that will ensure he is always remembered.
