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Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA), in cooperation with national news agencies in the Balkan countries: Agerpres (Romania), Anadolu Agency (Turkey), ANAMPA (Greece), ATA (Albania), FENA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), HINA (Croatia) ), MIA (North Macedonia), MINA (Montenegro), Tanjug (Serbia), has conducted the 50th edition of the survey for the best athletes of the year in the Balkans.
The evaluation of the best sport for 2023 was deserved by the Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, who wins this poll for the eighth time (a record). Djokovic collected 103 points, thus repeating the successes of 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2019 and 2021. The number 1 in the world tennis ranking had one of his best seasons. He played in the finals of all four Grand Slam tournaments, winning titles in Australia, France and the US Open, and then ended his campaign with a trophy at the Nitto ATP Finals. In second place in this classification was ranked another big star of world sports, the Serbian basketball player, Nikola Jokic, who was declared NBA champion with the Denver Nuggets, also winning the MVP award of the finals.
Jokic collected 72 points in this survey. While the podium was completed by another basketball champion, the Bulgarian Aleksandar Vezenkov, with 38 points. Vezenkov was named EuroLeague MVP for the 2022-2023 season and played in the final with Olympiakos in Europe's most prestigious club tournament, losing the final in dramatic fashion against Real Madrid. In the summer he signed a contract with the Sacramento Kings and became the second Bulgarian in history after Georgi Gloucckov to play in the NBA. Greek jumper Miltiadis Tentoglu was fourth with 36 points as he became the world indoor champion and European indoor champion in 2023. While world long jump champion Ivana Spanovic of Serbia was ranked fifth in this classification with 35 points.
In this poll, it was also passed beyond the Balkans, as the world champion in Moto GP, the Italian Francesco Banjaja, who received 32 points and was positioned in sixth place, was also voted. Turkish volleyball player Melisa Vargas ranked seventh with 31 points, who helped her representative to win the European title, being also chosen as the best player of the tournament. World high jump champion and European Games gold medalist Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy earned 27 points to finish eighth. Bulgarian rhythmic gymnast Boriana Kalein, who won the gold medal in individual competitions at the European Championships, as well as the world and European team titles with the Bulgarian national team, was ranked ninth with 21 points. While the "top-10" of sports stars in the Balkans was completed by the world and European rowing champion, Simona Radis from Romania with 19 points.
Gega, the star of Albania
In the classification of the stars of the Balkans in sports, a total of 57 athletes received votes, while the highest position among the Albanians was the athletics champion, Luiza Gega, who was ranked 13th with 12 accumulated points. Gega developed an extraordinary season, following top performances for the tenth year in a row, with historic results and numerous records. To understand the incredible season of Luiza Gega, it is enough to mention only some of her achievements in 2023. A year in which Luiza Gega made history with a triple gold medal at the Balkan Championships held in Serbia in the disciplines of 3000 meters, 5000 meters and 3000 meters with obstacles.
He won another gold medal in the Balkan cross country in Bulgaria, as well as in the Balkan half-marathon held in North Macedonia. Luiza also recorded a gold medal in the European Team Championship in Poland in the 5000 meters race. In Poland, Luiza Gega made history, winning the gold medal at the European Olympic Games in the 3000-meter steeplechase, a result that came in record time for the competition. In addition to the usual titles at the national level, Luiza also set new records in 3000 meters with obstacles, 5 km road, half-marathon, or the Balkan record, these results were stamped during the year 2023 by the Albanian athlete.
The other reds
Three other athletes from Albania were also voted in this poll. Footballer Kristjan Asllani was ranked 21st. The midfielder of the National Team and Inter scored a total of 10 points. Karate player Alvin Karaqi, who won a gold medal in the European Games, is positioned in 42nd place with 4 points, while wrestler Zelimkhan Abakarov, world runner-up last year, is positioned in 51st place, receiving 2 points in this survey.
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Fazliu and Rrahmani, the champions of Kosovo
In the survey of sports stars in the Balkans for 2023, four Kosovar athletes were also voted. Judoka Laura Fazliu and soccer player Amir Rrahmani were ranked 19th and 20th respectively with equal points, 10 each. Next are two other judokas, Distria Krasniqi in 22nd place with 9 points, as well as Nora Gjakova in 27th place with 8 accumulated points.
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