Sefton: Elite Fight Force gym owners Hany Sbat, Adam Omar fight sports regulator after registrations cancelled

The owners of a Sydney gym which made headlines when a father was killed in a brazen shooting have taken on the state’s combat sports watchdog after registrations were cancelled.

The high profile owners of a Sydney gym have been dealt a knockout legal blow after the state’s combat sports watchdog cancelled their registrations due to concerns over alleged links to organised crime.

The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal has rejected an appeal by Elite Fight Force gym owners Hany Sbat and Adam Omar to overturn a decision by the Combat Sports Authority to cancel their registration as trainers on the grounds they were not a “fit and proper person to hold registrations”.

The gym, located in Sefton, has previously been subject to police raids and made headlines in 2023 when a father was shot in front of a young child in a suspected targeted attack.

The Combat Sports Authority – which regulates the combat sports sector in NSW with the aim of maintaining integrity of the sport – told the tribunal it cancelled Mr Sbat’s licence last year due to concerns over his criminal history and associations with people known to be involved in serious criminal activity and organised criminal networks.

Mr Omar also had his registration cancelled last year over concerns about his past use of performance enhancing drugs including unlawful use, his criminal history, and his associations with people known to be involved in serious criminal activity and organised criminal networks.

Both Mr Sbat and Mr Omar denied any association with active criminals or organised crime groups and networks and told the tribunal they were “of good character”.

Hany Sbat. Photo: Facebook.

The tribunal heard Mr Sbat’s criminal history included pleading guilty in 2011 to charges of stalk/intimidate intending to cause fear, affray and destruction of property for which he was sentenced to 100 hours of community service and placed on an 18 month good behaviour bond.

In 2013, he assaulted a nightclub patron by striking the victim on the temple with his right elbow, causing the victim to fall to the floor. He pleaded guilty to common assault and received a fine and a 12 month good behaviour bond.

In 2015, he punched and elbowed a casino staff member in Melbourne, pleading guilty to unlawful assault and recklessly causing injury charges. He was handed a fine and a lifetime ban from Crown Casino.

A photo of police attending the Elite Fight Force after a father was shot outside the venue in 2023. Photo Jeremy Piper

In early 2023 a man was murdered in the car park outside the Elite Fight Force gym in front of a child.

The tribunal heard that “one public theory of the murder is that the victim was mistaken for Mr Sbat”.

Mr Omar’s criminal history included admitting to the possession of 17 vials and approximately 400 tablets of steroids in 2020. He pleaded guilty to possessing prohibited drugs charges and received a conditional release order.

In 2021 he admitted to possession of cannabis, cannabis oil, a grinder and steroids for personal use. He pleaded guilty and, as this was within the period of the previous conditional release, for all the drug offences he was convicted and sentenced to a 12 month community corrections order.

Sefton gym shooting victim Taha Sabbagh.

Hany Sbat. Photo: Combat Sports Authority

The tribunal heard that during searches of their Sydney gym in 2022, officers allegedly located prohibited substances including steroids and human growth hormone that were unauthorised in Australia for human use and some were only authorised for animal use.

While both Mr Sbat and Mr Omar admitted to past criminal behaviour, they submitted they have made positive changes to their lives since their prior convictions.

Mr Omar submitted that his past unlawful use of performance enhancing drugs was necessary to treat a medical condition and since 2023 has only used prescription drugs obtained legally.

The tribunal – which denied their appeal in a ruling last week – stated that in all the circumstances and on the material before the tribunal it was satisfied both men were “associates of people who are connected to an organised crime group”.

The tribunal added that it could not be satisfied that either man would “engage in combat sports in accordance with its rules which involve issues of the health and safety of combat sport contestants, nor would the public have confidence it would occur partly due to their prior conviction(s)”.

Originally published as Sefton: Elite Fight Force gym owners Hany Sbat, Adam Omar fight sports regulator after registrations cancelled