Sanket Salonkhe stars as Kolhapur dominate Pune to retain WIFA Inter-District Championship

by FC May 12, 2026

Kolhapur successfully defended their WIFA Inter-District Championship crown in dominant fashion after dismantling Pune 5-0 in a one-sided final played in front of a packed home crowd on Tuesday.

With over 5,000 spectators in attendance at the iconic Kolhapur Sports Association ground, the hosts produced a commanding display from start to finish to retain the title and underline their growing dominance in Maharashtra’s football circuit.

Sanket Salonkhe emerged as the undisputed star of the evening with a brilliant hat-trick that effectively sealed the contest before the hour mark. The forward opened the scoring in the 35th minute after calmly converting from the penalty spot following a foul inside the box.

Salonkhe struck again six minutes later, finding space inside the area before slotting home to hand Kolhapur a comfortable two-goal cushion heading into the break.

While Pune were expected to respond in the second half, Kolhapur tightened their grip on the contest almost immediately after the restart. Captain Karan Ravindra Chavan Bandare added the third goal with a composed finish early in the half, further deflating Pune’s hopes of a comeback.

Ten minutes later, Harsh Jarag joined the scoresheet after another incisive attacking move cut open Pune’s struggling defence.

Sanket Salonkhe then completed his hat-trick in ruthless fashion, capitalising on a defensive lapse inside the six-yard box as Pune’s backline crumbled under sustained pressure from the defending champions.

The victory marked a fitting end to Kolhapur’s impressive campaign, with the home side feeding off the energy of a vocal local crowd throughout the evening. Having entered the tournament as favourites, Kolhapur lived up to expectations with their performance.

For Pune, however, the final proved to be a night to forget. Despite entering the contest with momentum from the knockout round, they struggled to impose themselves and were second best in every department against a relentless Kolhapur side.

Earlier in the day, Mumbai clinched third place after edging past Nagpur courtesy of a second-half winner from substitute Zeeshan Ahmed, who made an instant impact after coming off the bench.

With the conclusion of the WIFA Inter-District Championship, focus will now shift towards the Maharashtra Santosh Trophy preparations. The competition continues to serve as one of the primary scouting platforms for the state team setup, with several standout performers from this year’s edition expected to earn call-ups for the upcoming Santosh Trophy camp.

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