YEREVAN, December 21 (Noyan Tapan). The Armenian Sport Journalists' Federation (ASJF) recognized prominent chess-player Rafael Vahanian the best Armenian sportsman of 2004. The purpose of the traditional public opinion polls of the ASFJ was to determine the best ten sportsmen of the year. 26 out of 38 journalists-respondents of the polls mentioned in their questionaires the name of prominent chess-player, grandmaster Rafael Vahanian as the first one (by the way, all the respondents mentioned his name). In 2004, Vahanian had brilliant performances in the World Olympiad, in the Moscow and Mainz international tournaments, as well as in the German team championship. The following ten sportsmen were recognized as the best as a result of the public opinion polls: 1. Rafael Vahanian (chess) - 356 points, 2. Martin Berberian (free-style wrestling) - 277 points, 3. Levon Aronian (chess) - 264 points, 4. Norair Bakhtamian (shooting) - 232 points, 5. Smbat Lputian (chess) - 199 points, 6. Vahan Juharian (Greco-Roman wrestling) - 181 points, 7. Kristine Najarian (sambo) - 170 points, 8. Armen Ghazarian (weight-lifting) - 111 points, 9. Armen Nazarian (judo) - 96 points, 10. Tigran T. Petrosian (chess) - 59 points. The journalists also mentioned in their questionaires the names of the following sportsmen: Khachik Jamirian (ushu), Vladimir Hakobian (chess), Alexan Nalbandian (boxing), Suren Markosian (free-style wrestling), Edgar Manucharian (football), Beniamin Galstian (chess), Karen Dokhoyan (football), Sargis Sargsian (tennis), Tigran Martirosian (weight-lifting), Vazgen Azroyan-Anastasia Grebyonkina (figure skating).

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