From Finance to Soccer – Founder of Ayta Sports Canada, Yasser Siddiqui, on Finding his True Calling

Finding one’s purpose in the world can be a little tricky. Some people find it easy, as they settle into a snug corner that is made just right for them and begin to contribute to the world. Usually, that contribution comes in the form of either a career or a hobby they are passionate about. For others, it takes a little more time to find their calling, which results in dabbling in various pools of opportunities and walking along different career paths to try and find the one that fits them best. Yasser Siddiqui had a similar trajectory, wherein he struggled to find his place in the world by switching his career choice several times during his early years.

Born in Oman, Yasser’s early childhood was spent switching schools a few times when his father’s job required them to move to India before shifting to the UAE and finally settling in New Delhi, India. Yasser showed an interest in athletics, yet the two sports he preferred over all others were cricket and soccer. While studying at a school in Abu Dhabi, he was even selected for the school soccer team and played on a semi-professional level at just 16 years old.

While in New Delhi, Yasser worked on his undergraduate degree in Commerce and began working at his mother’s non-profit community school right after graduation. He worked in various capacities, from helping with teaching mathematics to doing finances, admin work, and scheduling, to driving the students to and from the institution. At one point, he even swept and mopped the school building. This allowed him to experience several viewpoints when it came to different jobs.

As a side hustle, he dabbled in various other forms of work as well. From trading to trying to make paper out of banana stems and even goat farming. Even though those ventures failed one after the other, Yasser did not give up and continued to try and find his true calling.

His passion for soccer did not die out during the early years of his career. In 2017, he decided to buy a semi-professional soccer club that was backed up by Adidas itself. They even managed to raise enough funds to build a sportage arena – a first of its kind in India that offered day and night soccer facilities. Their club, aptly named the Goal Hunterz FC, is a soccer pioneer in New Delhi.

With more than enough time on his hands during the lockdown, he began to develop an athlete monitoring device to wear while playing soccer. He and his best friend successfully developed the first prototype and are looking forward to making it more refined.

Once satisfied with what he could contribute to the soccer community in New Delhi, Yasser decided that it was time to move on. When he heard that North America would be hosting the 2026 Fifa World Cup, he began to look for opportunities to try and make his mark there. When he had settled in Canada, Yasser set to work. 

Yasser shifted his focus to coaching and building his soccer training programs. His programs focus on using technology. Once he had received all the necessary licenses, he began coaching and slowly he started to create a clientele and gain standing amidst the pre-established professionals in the soccer training world.

Want to book a session with Yasser, then visit here.