Who was snooker legend Paul Hunter and what was his cause of death?
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PAUL HUNTER was an iconic snooker player when he was alive and his legacy has continued long after his death aged just 27. Every year at the Masters tournament the sportsman is remembered, with competitors playing for the Paul Hunter Trophy. Paul Hunter was a British snooker player who sadly died in 2006.
![[Paul Hunter during his first round match against John Parrott at the 2004 Embassy World Snooker Championships at Sheffield, Thursday April 22, 2004.PA Photo: Gareth Copley.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/SNOOKER_World_1-jpg-JS3041282.jpg?strip=all&w=691)
He was known for his long blonde hair which earned him comparisons to David Beckham and the nickname "Beckham of the Baize". Hunter was born on October 15, 1978, in Yorkshire. He was a keen snooker player from a young age and made his professional debut in July 1995 when he was just 16 years old.
Paul won the Masters three times, taking home the titles in 2001, 2002, and 2004. He also won the Welsh Open in 1998 and 2002, and the British Open in 2002. After his death, the sportsman was posthumously awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and in 2017 the Masters trophy was renamed in his honour.
MASTERS SNOOKER LIVE - LATEST UPDATES. One of Paul's most famous snooker matches was his victory over Ronnie O'Sullivan in the final of the 2004 Masters. In 2024, to mark the 20 year anniversary of the iconic game, O'Sullivan paid tribute to his late rival.
He said: "Paul was an unbelievable talent. He definitely had that star power and transcended the game. "He was the Beckham of snooker, wasn't he? He was a good looking boy, he always had a smile on his face and was a good lad. "I had some good times and some good memories with Paul, he will never be forgotten, all the players loved him.
