B samples of Sini, Jauna, Tiana test positive

The dope-tainted trio of Sini Jose, Jauna Murmu and Tiana Mary Thomas face a two-year ban after their confirmatory 'B' sample tests also returned positive for anabolic steroids, on Friday.

The trio had their 'B' sample tests done at the National Dope Testing Laboratory on Monday and the results confirmed they had flunked the test.

Sini and Jauna had tested positive for methandionone while Mary Thomas had another anabolic steroid epimethandiol in her urine sample collected during the June 11-14 National Inter-State Meet in Bangalore.

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"Sini, Jauna and Mary Thomas' 'B' sample also tested positive for anabolic steroids. Under procedure they will now appear before a NADA disciplinary panel and, if found guilty, their maximum punishment will be two-year ban, as it is their first dope offence," a NADA source told said.

All of them have pleaded innocence, saying the vitamin supplements they consumed while training could have been contaminated.

Sini was one of the members of the women's 4x400m relay quartet that won gold in the Commonwealth and Asian Games last year.

Jauna finished fourth in the 400m hurdles in the Asian Games.

Mary Thomas was a member of the gold-winning 4x400m relay team in the South Asian Federation Games in Dhaka last year.