Sannum (22) was selected for the New Zealand senior futsal team, which has just played a test series against Australia in Auckland.
The New Zealand team did not win a game in the three-match series, played late last month, but Sannum said it was far from disgraced.
"We didn't do too bad, considering we only had a week together as a team. They [Australia] have been training together for the past three years and have been to the World Cup," Sannum said.
Sannum first played football at primary school but it took until secondary school to turn his hand, or feet, to futsal.
"A couple of my mates were at Logan Park High School and I was at King's. They wanted me to get a few guys together to play against, so I managed to get a few of us around and have been playing ever since."
Futsal can be traced back to Uruguay in 1930, when a five-a-side football competition was hatched to be played indoors, on basketball courts.
The name comes from the Spanish and Portuguese words for football and Spanish-French words for indoors.
It has gradually swept the world, with New Zealand players, both young and old, becoming fully involved in the sport.
The game is played by four outfield players and a goalkeeper on each side.
A couple of years ago, there were 18 teams playing futsal in Dunedin but this summer there will be 248 teams and more than 1700 people of all ages playing the sport.
Sannum is one of those leading the way. He plays twice a week and also coaches, selects and plays for the Otago side which is in the national league.
The league is played over three rounds with one of the rounds in Dunedin, in December.
Otago had started well last year and was second early in the season before falling away in the later stages. Auckland won the title, going through the season unbeaten.
Sannum usually plays out wide, or sometimes in the midfield for his Otago side, and said the sport had a lot going for it.
"It is very fast and the good thing for a lot of players is that there are a lot of touches on the ball. I think parents like it because it is fast and is over quickly. Plus, being indoors, you always know it is going to be on."
At senior level, halves are 20 minutes long but at the top level the clock is stopped every time the ball goes out of play. That can led to games lasting more than 90 minutes.
Fitness is a big issue in futsal as it is a game where speed off the mark and quickness are vitally important.
He said many top European and South American football players had a background in futsal.
"Some of the older coaches do not think it is great for you but all the top players have played futsal when they were younger."
After a few years away, Sannum played football for the Roslyn-Wakari premier side this year, playing well enough to win the player of the year trophy for his side.
It is a wonder he can find the time for football as he holds down three jobs.
He is a night filler at The Warehouse, teaches futsal in school and sets up events at the Edgar Centre.
