Peña cleared, suits up for SMB

PBA commissioner Noli Eala finally lifted the suspension of Dorian Peña yesterday, allowing the Fil-Am behemoth to resume his playing career starting today as San Miguel Beer clashes with Shell at the Philsports Arena.

Eala reinstated Peña effective yesterday but with conditions that the player will be tested every game, attend continued counseling, render community service and donate 10 percent of his monthly salary up to the end of the year to an organization involved in any anti-drug abuse campaign.

"It is our hope that with the resumption of Mr. Dorian Peña’s playing career, he would truly put this experience behind him and provide PBA fans once again with the high quality basketball they have always expected of him," said Eala.

San Miguel team manager Robert Non told The STAR that Peña whooped it up like a kid when informed of his reinstatement during the team practice yesterday noon.

"Actually ang buong team masayang-masaya. Tumaas ang morale at ang ganda ng inensayo nila," said Non.

Non also said Pena accepted the conditions imposed by the league commissioner on his reinstatement.

The Commissioner’s Office acted favorably on Peña’s appeal for early lifting of his suspension as Eala noted the positive results on all the programs undertaken by the player.

Thus, Peña will be back in action in time for their game against a Shell team which is again unveiling a new import in Jamal Kendricks. Talk n Text (6-1) and Coca-Cola (5-1) clash in the other game at 7:30 p.m.

Earlier at 2:30 p.m., University of Manila and University of Makati collide in the championship game of the NAASCU basketball tournament. The UM Hawks go for a third straight crown.

In the Ginebra-Purefoods King of the Court one-on-one competition, Dennis Espino and Yancy de Ocampo square off in the last first-round duel in the 6-foot-4 and above category.

A product of New Mexico State and Midwestern State, Kendricks, a player of agent Mike Gonzalez, came over here on his own and tried out with the Beermen and the Turbochargers.

Shell decided to enlist the Kendricks after Tim Breaux turned out to be a lemon of an import in his first and only game with the Turbochargers in a road game in Bohol last Saturday.

Kendricks is a veteran international player, having played in Lebanon and Dominican Republic. He is fresh from a stint with the Brevard Blue Ducks in the USBL.