** Shares of Champion Iron CIA.AX rise as much as 4.1% to A$5.880, its biggest intraday gain since Dec. 10

** Iron ore miner says Japanese firms Nippon Steel 5401.T and Sojitz 2768.T will take up a 49% stake for A$245 million ($152.22 million) in co's Kami project in Canada

** Co says it will retain operatorship of the project and oversee potential developments and future operations

** CIA down 30% YTD

($1 = 1.6095 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Adwitiya Srivastava in Bengaluru)

((Adwitiya.Srivastava@thomsonreuters.com))