By elliott West
As fans gather this weekend for the Paul Hunter Classic in Germany so we should take a moment to remember the great man himself. It seems like the other day that Paul was with us and what a player this man was. I never saw Hunter play live but watched all his matches avidly on television. Paul was the David Beckham of snooker and introduced fashion and flair to the game.Close friends with players such as Michael Holt, Matthew Stevens and Ronnie O’Sullivan, Paul was the first player to sport a hair grip in his blond hair and generated a rapturous applause every time he entered an arena. Winner of three Masters titles, Hunter found true love towards the end of his life and no one can forget his marriage, barefoot on a sandy beach in the Caribbean.
Paul was an ambassador for snooker and showed once again that this is a sport and should be taken seriously. It takes great amount of skill and coordination to play snooker and only the gifted can play at the top of the sport. Paul showed that despite his diagnosis of aggressive cancer, he would not let this disease beat him without a fight. Multiple chemotherapy sessions left Hunter weak and fatigued, losing the sensation in his hands and feet but on the baize you wouldn’t be able to tell. Losing all hair as a result of his treatment, Paul improvised and used a bandana to cover his head and slept between match sessions to regather his strength.
Towards the end when it had been formerly announced that Hunter had terminal cancer, I strongly admire his determination to compete to the highest level. It was clear that he was in a great deal of pain and the treatment dried his throat and made it difficult for him to speak for long periods of time. However in snooker, the art of sportsmanship never changes and an opponent will always respect their opposition. Even when Paul struggled in a match at the end, he always gave it one hundred percent and the same loyal followers supported until his last appearance.
Sports’ fans wept when this man passed but even though he is no longer with us he remains in our hearts and memories. Paul leaves behind him a legacy of titles, the tournament itself set up in his memory and the excellent Paul Hunter Foundation that works tirelessly with players and charitable events to help disadvantaged and disabled children play snooker. Set up by his father and wife this is a fitting memory for Paul and shows that even if you are homeless or battling drug addiction, there is a light at the end of the tunnel and an alternative and better lifestyle possible.
So as fans watch from the arena or their television screens this weekend, this fantastic tournament, Paul will once again be in ours thoughts and I am sure is watching in spirit. Kyren Wilson won this event last year in a run of form that gained him this and the Six Reds event in Thailand as a result. The field is wide open in this German tournament but as I have experienced first hand at the Berlin Masters this year, German fans are passionate about snooker and this would suit the likes of Judd Trump who absorbs crowd participation and brings out his best game on the day. Trump is of course the favourite to win after winning the World Championship and the International Championship. However snooker can always produce unpredictable results and so be prepared for the unexpected when the overall winner is announced.
