The only person who can be called "snooker boy" or "snooker beckham" is the talented paul Hunter with a colorful career.
He died of illness in 2006, just five days after his 28th birthday. In a limited life and a short career, he still achieved what most snooker athletes had never achieved in their lifetime.
The handsome guy from Leeds, England, reached the snooker Masters final three times, both in the decider, and reached the semi-finals of the World Championships in 2003, eventually losing to Ken Dahdi. On April 28, local time in the UK, the BBC will replay the Battle of Crucible between Hunter and Dahdi.
In the 2001 Masters, Hunter's victory over Fogel O'Brien became the headlines at the time, and winning the championship alone may not be enough to dominate the headlines, of course, there is also his "fierce material": revealing that he was 2-6 behind in the first stage and used "applause for love" to get back in good shape.
"The gun was supposed to be a means of pressing the bottom of the box, but I had to do something to ease the tension," said Hunter, who returned to the players' dressing room with his girlfriend Lindsay Phil after the first stage of the game. She went straight to the shower, and I squinted for a moment, and then I played a fantastic performance. ”
Hunter, who also participated in the BBC's star programme in 2003, recalled that time in an interview with The Independent, and he said very bluntly: "I have 40 athletes here, and I am a smoker and a drinker. ”
In 2007, a mixed professional-amateur event was renamed the Paul Hunt Classic, and in 2010 it became a minor ranking tournament, with Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and Judd Trump all being champions.
In 2016, the tournament became a standings tournament, and after three sessions, it became a non-ranking tournament in 2019, with the current winner being Barry Hawkins. The Paul Hunt Classic has been a favorite event for players and fans on the World Snooker Tour (WST) calendar for many years.
In addition to hosting events, the Paul Hunt Foundation also contributes to the public good, working to create an environment for young people living in snooker for poor or physically disabled youth.