Tokyo, Jul 21 (IANS): Six Polish swimmers were sent home from the Olympics after the the country's swimming federation (PZP) committed an administrative error and sent them to Tokyo even though they had not qualified for the Games.

The matter came to light on Sunday when the six, along with 16 other Polish swimmers, issued an open letter accusing the PZP of not understanding the regulations of FINA, swimming's world governing body.

The Polish team that reached Tokyo comprised 23 swimmers whereas the federation was allowed to send only 17.

Alicja Tchorz, Aleksandra Polanska, Mateusz Chowaniec, Dominika Kossakowska, Jan Holub and Bartosz Piszczorowicz were forced to return from Tokyo and asked the organisation's entire board to resign immediately over the incident in an open letter addressed to the PZP director Pawel Slominski.

On his part, Slominski expressed regret over the incident. "I would like to express my great regret, sadness, and bitterness at the situation," Slominski said in a release, reports CNN.

"Several of us had to come back to Poland because of the neglect, and our dream of becoming Olympians have been taken away from us," the swimmers said in the open letter.