Bale treble sends Real Madrid to Cup final

MADRID • Gareth Bale scored a hat-trick in 11 minutes on Wednesday as Real Madrid strolled into the Club World Cup final by beating Kashima Antlers 3-1 in Abu Dhabi.

He scored in the 44th, 53rd and 55th minutes to put the Spanish football giants within touching distance of a record fourth success in this competition, and their third in a row.

The European champions, who are tied with their LaLiga rivals Barcelona on three wins, will face United Arab Emirates side Al Ain in the final tomorrow.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

Cambodia-backed group to buy Wisla

WARSAW • Wisla Krakow, one of the oldest professional football teams in Poland and who have suffered financial problems in recent months, will be sold to a Cambodian-backed syndicate of investors.

According to the city's president Jacek Majchrowski, a conditional agreement with a Luxembourg-British syndicate was signed on Tuesday and will be finalised in the coming days.

REUTERS

Premiership rugby gets £200m boost

LONDON • England's Premiership Rugby has announced that private equity company CVC Capital Partners has bought a minority shareholding reportedly worth more than £200 million (S$347 million).

The investment is expected to completed in the first quarter of next year and "marks the start of a new era for English professional club rugby", the league said.

REUTERS

Pacers-Kings the first NBA games in India

MUMBAI • The Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings will play two pre-season games in Mumbai next year, the first National Basketball Association games to take place in India, commissioner Adam Silver said yesterday.

REUTERS