Rodney Walker, the former president of the World Federation of Stations, said: "He is a man who has it all, outstanding talent, handsome face, fame and wealth, unique personal charm and beautiful wife. O'Sullivan once said: "His talent is higher than mine, and if he is alive, he will definitely become the best player in the world." He was Paul Hunter, known as the "Beckham" of billiards. He is not only the person that O'Sullivan admires, but also the existence of the most fans in the past. But maybe God also likes to play billiards, and Hunter, who is only 27 years old, left this world forever in 2006.
Paul Hunter
In 2016, the tenth anniversary of Paul Hunt's death, amid the call of many golfers and fans, the World Taiwan Federation announced that the snooker Masters trophy will be named the "Paul Hunt Cup" from 2017 to commemorate the young death.
Many players observed a moment of silence for Paul Hunt
As one of the three major tournaments of snooker, only the top players can participate, such an important event, why is Paul still constantly mentioned ten years after his death, so he won this award? Not only the fans, but even other players are obsessed with him. Let's walk into this talented golfer who combines looks and skills today.
Genius teenager
Born in England on 14 October 1978, Paul Hunter began to come into contact with snooker under the influence of family and friends, and showed extraordinary talent, winning the amateur junior competition as a minor.
Junior Paul Hunter
In 1995, Hunter embarked on a career path and won two Open titles before he was 20 years old. In 1998, he was awarded Young Player of the Year by the Snooker Correspondents' Association. His cheerful personality, laid-back lifestyle, and unique personal charm have won countless fans.
Legends
On the field of snooker, especially at a high level like the Masters, Paul Hunter's three miraculous reversals in the final are destined to become a story that people talk about. In 2001, Hunter won the title by reversing O'Brien 10-9 in a 3-7 situation; In 2002, Hunter finally won a stunning 10-9 victory over Williams after falling behind by a score of 0-5; In 2004, Hunter finished hat-trick by defeating O'Sullivan 10-9 after trailing 2-7. O'Sullivan and Williams, two top gurus who were both reversed by him with a big lead in the game, is not an easy task. This is one of the reasons why the Masters trophy was later named after him.
Unique charm
Aside from his talent and skill, Paul Hunt is most distinctive in his unique charisma. On the field, he combines confidence, elegance and humility. You'll never see him grumpy and angry because of a batting error, nor will you see him frustrated or abandoning when he's behind, and whether he wins or loses, he will always gracefully display his inclusive charisma. In life, he cares about vulnerable groups and disabled children, often participates in charity performances, and he hopes to help more children who like billiards. This is also one of the reasons why he has gained the love of countless fans and the respect of opponents.
O'Sullivan and Paul Hunter
Hunt was one of the very few players to be respected and recognized by O'Sullivan, who at one point even wore the same long hair style as Hunt at one point.
Misfortune
In 2005, Paul Hunter first found himself feeling unwell and suffering from stomach pains. Because of his often optimistic attitude, most people thought it was a short-lived problem, but when he got to Beijing for the China Open, he knew he had cancer. This game was the first time Ding Junhui won the championship. Due to the pain of illness, this race is destined not to go well. But after the first round, when the press conference was waiting for him to be interviewed, he couldn't find his person, so he began to look for him. It turned out that at this time, he was patiently signing a group photo for the Chinese fans on the field, for 20 minutes, until all the fans' requirements were completed.
Shortly after the game, Hunter began receiving treatment, which stripped him of his unique blond hair, and he became gaunt and often found it painful to play. But he's still holding on because he has a unique love for snooker.
Paul Hunter insisted on playing during treatment
At the 2005 British Championships, he beat Jamie Burnett 9-8 late at night. He sat down exhausted at the press conference, his facial features appearing weak in the glare of bright television lights.
"I know some tough journalists who find it frustrating, but we can't decide our fate." Growing in pain, he had to stop playing and receive full treatment. In 2006, the players voted to temporarily freeze and protect his rankings, giving him time to recover, but unfortunately, there was no recovery. There is no point in freezing either. After battling cancer for 18 months, he left this world 5 days before his 28th birthday. Even more unfortunate, he had just become a father, leaving behind a lonely wife and a daughter who was less than ten months old.
Paul Hunter died on October 9, 2006
In fact, Paul Hunt's playing career has not yet reached its peak, if it were not for the torture of illness, perhaps he would have achieved better results. However, there is no point in discussing this, and people miss him in various ways, which has proved his achievements.
The Paul Hunt Classics Championship is held every summer in Germany, as well as the Paul Hunt Foundation, which has helped many disadvantaged and disabled young people over the past decade. Hunter's father is actively involved and the foundation has donated and raised more than £550,000 in charitable funding; 580 live roadshows for more than 10,000 children; Charity in over 160 different communities across the UK....
Paul Hunt Foundation: Remembrance Day
Paul Hunt is undoubtedly a respected player whose wishes will be fulfilled and the charitable foundation named after him and the Masters trophy will continue to live on in his place.