UPDATE 1-Sports Direct confirms 120 mln stg HQ sale and leaseback

(Adds Malaysia statement)

LONDON, May 28 (Reuters) - Sports Direct, the sportswear retailer owned by British billionaire Mike Ashley, has sold the freehold to its Shirebrook logistics centre to Malaysia's Employees Provident Fund for just over 120 million pounds ($152 million) in cash.

Sports Direct, which will take a 15-year lease on the property, said the proceeds would be used for group operations and to boost its working capital.

Malaysia's Employees Provident Fund said in a separate statement it was attracted to the assured income stream the acquisition would generate, and as such the deal would complement its British property portfolio.

($1 = 0.7887 pounds) (Reporting by Paul Sandle in London and Liz Lee in Kuala Lumpur; editing by Kate Holton and Jason Neely)