SANTO DOMINGO -- Dominican journalist Mario Alvarez Dugan, the head editor of the daily Hoy, died in this capital several days after being admitted to a hospital with heart problems, the press reported Sunday. He was 77.

Alvarez Dugan had managed Hoy since 1988, when he left the management of El Nacional. In the 1970s, he was the chief editor of the daily El Caribe, which he joined in 1966.

The veteran journalist and writer died on Saturday night and his burial will be conducted on Sunday.

Before he got into the print media, Alvarez Dugan was an outstanding sports commentator and announced, and in 1958 he was made general editor of Deportes. He also founded and managed the equestrian magazines Handicap and El Enllave, both of which are now defunct.

In 1993, he was inducted into the Dominican sports hall of fame. He was also author of books on the history of Dominican baseball, a collection of sports anecdotes and administrative corruption.

Alvarez Dugan was married to Altagracia Soto, and the couple had three children, among them Mario Alvarez Soto, who is considered the Dominican Republic's best tennis player.