Sofia, Dec 29 (AP) Novak Djokovic was named the Best Balkan Athlete of the year on Wednesday for a record seventh time.

The 34-year-old Serbian tennis great is ranked No. 1 in the world and won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year.

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The results of the annual poll were published by the Bulgarian News Agency.

Greek basketball player Giannis Antetokounmpo, the NBA Finals MVP with the Milwaukee Bucks, was second in the poll. Another Greek, long jumper Miltiadis Tentoglu, was third after winning Greece's first Olympic gold medal in the event in Tokyo.

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Distria Krasniqi, a judo competitor from Kosovo, was fourth, followed by Serbian judo athlete Jovana Perkovic.

Ivet Goranova of Bulgaria (karate), Bilyana Dudova of Bulgaria (wrestling), Martin Sinkovic and Valent Sinkovic of Croatia (rowing), Mete Gazoz of Turkey (archery), and Nicoleta-Ancuta Bodnar and Simona Geanina Radis of Romania (rowing) rounded out the top 10.

The Balkan poll was conducted among the national news agencies of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia and Turkey. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)