Crowned European and World Champion in the 100m and 200m freestyle, Romanian swimmer David Popovici was chosen as the Balkan Athlete of the Year in 2022, beating Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic and Croatian footballer Luka Modric.

David Popovici, the best sportsman of the Balkans in 2022

Popovych scored 64 points in the poll, organized by the Bulgarian agency VTA and in which news agencies from the region took part.

In second place is Novak Djokovic (61 points), who won this year’s title at Wimbledon, as well as at the Tournament of Champions. The Serb won seven times in the BTA investigation.

2018 BTA poll winner Luka Modric (48 points) won the Champions League trophy and Spanish title with Real Madrid, as well as bronze with Croatia at the World Cup in Qatar.

Rower Simona Radis, two-time European and world champion this year, took 13th place with 10 points, and canoeist Katalin Cirila, European and world champion, took 33rd place with 3 points, writes Agerpres.

The following press agencies participated in the investigation: AGERPRES (Romania), AA (Turkey), ANA-MPA (Greece), ATA (Albania), BTA (Bulgaria), FENA (Bosnia and Herzegovina), HINA (Croatia), MIA ( North Macedonia), MINA (Montenegro) and TANJUG (Serbia).

The best athletes of the Balkans in 2022

1. David Popovici (Romania/swimming) 64 points

2. Novak Djokovic (Serbia/tennis) 61

3. Luka Modric (Croatia/football) 48

4. Miltiadis Tentoglu (Greece/athletics) 46

5. Tiyana Bosković (Serbia/volleyball) 31

6. Nikola Jokic (Serbia/basketball) 27

7. Yannis Antetokounmpo (Greece/basketball) 23

8. Oleksandr Vezenkov (Bulgaria/basketball) 21

9. Lana Pudar (Bosnia-Herzegovina/swimming) 20

9. Taha Akgul (Turkey/wrestling) 20

11. Sandra Perkovic (Croatia/athletics) 19

12. Riza Kayalp (Turkey/fights) 14

13. Bushe Naz Çakiroglu (Turkey/boxing) 10

13. Ivana Shpanovich-Vuleta (Serbia/athletics) 10

13. Luiza Ghega (Albania/athletics) 10

13. Simona Radish (Romania/rowing) 10

13. Volodymyr Egorov (North Macedonia/fights) 10

18. Jovanka Radycevych (Montenegro/handball) 9

19. Antigoni Drisbioti (Greece/athletics) 8

19. Zelimkhan Abakarov (Albania/fights) 8

21. Bushenaz Surmeneli (Turkey/boxing) 7

21. Elina Tsengko (Greece/athletics) 7

21. Evazhelia Veli (Albania/weightlifting) 7

21. Yusuf Nurkich (Bosnia-Herzegovina/basketball) 7

21. Vasilije Micic (Serbia/basketball) 7

26. Adem Asil (Turkey/artistic gymnastics) 6

26. Islam Dudayev (Albania/fights) 6

28. Erkand Kerimai (Albania/weightlifting) 5

28. Kyryll Milov (Bulgaria/wrestling) 5

28. Maria Vukovich (Montenegro/athletics) 5

31. Sevda Asenova (Bulgaria/boxing) 4

31. Stefan Ristovski (North Macedonia/football) 4

33. Cătălin Chirilă (Romania/canoe) 3

34. Lena Stojkovic (Croatia/Taekwondo) 2

34. Marko Bijak (Croatia/polo) 2

34. Rade Krunic (Bosnia-Herzegovina/football) 2

37. Carlos Nassar (Bulgaria/weightlifting) 1

37. Yasemin Adar (Turkey/wrestling) 1.

The list of athletes who performed at the end of the year included rowers Ionela-Livia Kozmiyuk, Sergiu Vasile Bezhan, Marius Vasyle Kozmiyuk, weightlifter Loredana Toma, gymnasts Sabrina Voinea, Amalia Puflya, track and field athlete Bianca Florentina Gelber, wrestlers Niku Oyog, Andrea Ana, jumper into the water Kostiantyn Popovichi, boxers Lacramioara Perizhoka and Andriy Aredoae, all winners of the European and/or world championships.