The Concordia University Department of Recreation and Athletics and the Stingers men's basketball team are proud to join forces with McGill University to honour George Lengvari with an annual rivalry game.
A native Montrealer and chairman of Lengvari Capital Inc., he graduated from Loyola College Cum Laude with a BA major in Economics in 1963. He went on to earn a law degree from McGill in 1966. Lengvari was a star player on both institutions’ basketball teams and has been a dedicated supporter of both programs.
“George was impactful during his college days and well beyond,” said Concordia head coach Rastko Popovic. “He is an exceptional role model for our young student-athletes. Despite all his success, he’s never forgotten his roots and still takes an interest in the young men on our team who are following in his footsteps. I’m proud to be able to call him a friend of Concordia men’s basketball and thrilled that Concordia and McGill are honouring him.”
With his leadership and prowess on the court, Lengvari was instrumental in energizing the Loyola sports scene in the early 1960s. A high scoring forward, he powered the 1962-63 Loyola Warriors men’s team to its first Ottawa-St. Lawrence (OSL) basketball title and a berth at the inaugural Canadian Intercollegiate Athletics Union championship. Lengvari was named the Warriors’ MVP in 1962-63, the last of his four seasons with the team.
He was also captain of Loyola varsity golf team and helped the team achieve its best-showing ever at the 1962 OSL Golf Tournament.
Lengvari was inducted into the Concordia Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
The inaugural George Lengvari Cup will take place this Saturday at 6 p.m. at the Love Competition Hall in the McGill Sports Centre, located at 475 Pine Ave. W. The Cup will be presented to the captains of the winning team by Lengvari himself.
The event will cap off back-to-back games between the teams. The first Concordia-McGill showdown will take place Thursday, Jan. 17 at 8 p.m. on Concordia’s Loyola campus.
It will feature the Stingers, who lead the Quebec conference with a 6-1 win-loss record and the second-place Redmen (3-2 record). Concordia took the first meeting between these teams this season with an 87-81 road victory on Nov. 22.
