Feb. 12, 2010

Bronx, N.Y. - The Fordham University men's basketball program will recognize the passing of former Ram Dud Tongal with a pregame moment of silence prior to the men's basketball game with George Washington on Saturday. Tip-off for the game is schedule for 1:00 PM.

The game will be broadcast live on WFUV (90.7 FM) and online at www.wfuv.org. The game will also be streamed live on the internet by clicking here and live stats are available via GameTracker.

Tongal, who played for the Rams from 1978-82, passed away in Doha, Qatar, his home for the last 28 years, last month at the age of 54 after suffering bouts of liver complications since 2002. A native of the Sudan, Tongal, graduated as the school's all-time blocked shots leader with 217 (he's currently third on the career list).

A 1982 Fordham graduate, Tongal astonished fans leading the Rams to the NIT as a junior and senior. Though he scored 1,062 career points and grabbed 563 career rebounds, he will best be remembered for his shot blocking abilities. Tongal set a school single season record with 72 rejections in 1978-79 and then recorded the second most blocks in a season with 58 as a senior in 1981-82. He also set the school single game record with ten blocks against Brandeis in 1979, a mark which has been matched only by Damon Lopez.

Previous to being recruited to Fordham, Tongal played for his home country Sudan's National Olympics team. He missed playing in the 1976 Olympic Games due to Sudan's decision to boycott the games due to South African apartheid.

Initially working as a basketball player for Al Sadd Club in Doha Qatar, Tongal later continued his record for aiming high as a finance accountant for Qatar Fuel-WOQOD, where he received awards for distinguished service; and as President of the Southern Sudanese SPLM local chapter. He proudly served his community and deeply and genuinely appreciated the generosity bestowed upon himself and his family as a long time resident of Doha, Qatar, where his daughter Dione Aquandar Tongal was born.

Originally from Rumbek, Sudan, in Southern Sudan, of the Dinka tribe, the same tribe of former Vice President of Southern Sudan John Garang, he is survived by his only daughter Dione A. Tongal, a student resident of New York, numerous sisters and brothers, relatives, and friends the world over. His conviction of belief was that, it's not whether you win or lose its how you play the game. A good man, played a good game, and lived well. Anyone that was fortunate to have participated in his life, if only the blessing of his bright smile, should keep the beauty of his spirit, simply for the grace of it.

Note: The above biography was taken from a release provided by Debra L. Edwards (formerly Mrs. Debra L. Edwards Tongal).