Alberto Sonsol
Uruguayan journalist (1957–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alberto Sonsol Cohen (November 26, 1957 – March 25, 2021) was a Uruguayan sports journalist, sportscaster and television presenter.[1]
November 26, 1957
- Sports journalist
- sportscaster
- television presenter
- broadcaster
Alberto Sonsol | |
|---|---|
| Born | Alberto Sonsol Cohen November 26, 1957 Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Died | March 25, 2021 (aged 63) Montevideo, Uruguay |
| Resting place | Israelite Cemetery of La Paz |
| Occupations |
|
| Spouse | Patricia Datz |
| Children | 3 |
Early life
Alberto Sonsol was born on 26 November 1957 in the Palermo neighbourhood of Montevideo, to David Sonsol and Leonor Cohen, both of Jewish descent.[2] His paternal grandfather, an Ashkenazi Jew whose surname was Schonsho, was the first member of the family to arrive in Uruguay; the surname was reportedly misrecorded by a customs official upon his arrival and thereafter remained Sonsol.[3]
Sonsol attended the Instituto Yavne. In January 1984, he emigrated to Israel, where he worked as a waiter in an Argentine restaurant in Tel Aviv. Later that same year, however, he returned to Uruguay, where he began working as a sports journalist.[4]
Career
He began his career as a basketball announcer in 1984. A year later he reported his first full match for Radio Universal.[5] Since the 1990s, he was a panelist on the program La Hora de los Deportes aired on National Television.[6] However, during his 35 years in the media, he hosted the program 6.25 Basketball on Teledoce, and until 2017 he was a sports journalist and was in charge of sports commentary on Radio Sarandí Sport 890.[7]
From 2015 to 2020 he presented the Uruguayan version of the Israeli format Raid the Cage, entitled Escape perfecto and aired on Channel 10.[8] He was accompanied by Annasofía Facello, who also co-presented the spin-off featuring celebrities, along with Claudia Fernández.[9] From 2020 until his death, he was part of Punto Penal and the Polémica en el bar Uruguay program panel.[10][11] He also was the presenter of the sports section in Subrayado, the news division of Channel 10.[12]
From February 2021 until his death, he was part of the cast of the comedy programme La Peluquería de Don Mateo.[13] Following his death, he was replaced by Sebastián Almada.[14]
Accolades
- 2016: Golden Iris Award and Best Male TV Presenter
- 2017: Iris Award for best radio sportscaster
Personal life
He was married to Patricia Datz, with whom he had three children: Diego, Alejandro and Micaela Sonsol.[15][16] Alejandro "Lali" and Diego also work in the media, as sportscasters and presenters.[17]
Death
On March 12, 2021, it was announced that he had contracted COVID-19.[18] On March 16, he was hospitalized at the British Hospital of Montevideo, after a low level of oxygen was detected in his blood,[19] and four days later he was transferred to the ICU due to worsening symptoms.[20] He died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 63.[21][22] He was buried on April 2 in the Israelite Cemetery of La Paz.[23] Due to the restrictions due to the pandemic, a funeral was not held, but a funeral procession was held from Club Atlético Atenas, of which Sonsol was a supporter, to the Centenario Stadium.[24]