October 10, 2006

Farewell to the "Beckham of the Baize" : Popular and talented young snooker star Paul Hunter, three times Masters champion, succumbs to cancer at the tender age of 27. He leaves behind a wife and young daughter. RIP.

read story | posted by squealy to Other at 4:21 AM CDT (6 comments total)

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Comment icon posted by Fence at 5:08 AM CDT on October 10

Damn. I knew he was young, I didn't know he was that young.

Damn.

Comment icon posted by chicobangs at 5:36 AM CDT on October 10

Very sad. He was way to young. But cancer doesn't care about age. It was a year ago next month that i had a partial lung removal. I'm glad to still be here.

Comment icon posted by texasred at 6:36 AM CDT on October 10

From the article:

Despite suffering from considerable pain as well as numbness in his limbs, he bravely competed on the circuit throughout the 2005/06 season. He subsequently announced his wish to take a break from snooker in order to receive more treatment.

In July this year, his fellow professionals voted for a change to the contitution of the WPBSA which allowed Hunter to successfully apply to have his official world ranking frozen at No 34 for a season.

Every case of cancer is uniquely tragic; each case is horrible in its own way. The only way to respond is with humanity. Some people with cancer are engaged in fighting, and some are in the process of dying, and for each there is a uniquely helpful human response -- such as this one. All too often, cancer nullifies our ability to fix things, but it still leaves us the option of finding, and doing, the right thing.

Congrats on surviving, texasred. Every story I hear of a survivor makes me feel better for the ones I've lost.

Comment icon posted by lil_brown_bat at 7:15 AM CDT on October 10

This is very sad. He always seemed like a really genuine bloke when I saw him on TV.

Comment icon posted by afx237vi at 7:57 AM CDT on October 10

Hunter was diagnosed 18 months ago with neuro-endocrine tumours, a rare form of cancer which causes slow-growing tumours in the lining of the body to release excessive amounts of hormones.

Even in the cancer realm, this one sounds particularly awful. My best to everyone who feels this loss, particularly his wife and daughter.

Comment icon posted by BullpenPro at 8:49 AM CDT on October 10

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