NEW DELHI, February 17 That the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) isn’t all about cricket is known. It has seen top class soccer and athletics, apart from cricket and non-sporting events. However, every sporting activity that the MCG has been associated with, there have been Indian connections.

The MCG is all set to receive track and field stars on its hallowed turf after 50 years. It has been close to cricket for some time to change the character of the turf and stadium, and today nine sprinters in the first of 19 heats in the men’s 100m in the Victoria State Championship heralded the return of athletics.

This was the first time since the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games that the MCG, popularly known as ‘The G’, welcomed back athletes. It will also be the venue of the opening and closing ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games, beginning March 15.

No Indian took part today, but this stadium has a very strong historic Indian connection. It was at this very stadium Milkha Singh got his international baptism at the Olympic Games.

Recalls the ‘Flying Sikh’: “I have fond memories. I was a young village lad and was totally overawed by sheer brilliance of American Charlie Jenkins who won 400 m gold. I looked at him and said to myself ‘why can’t I run fast’. And that inspired me to work hard.”

One thing Milkha distinctly remembers is the gentle touch of a young “white woman”. This was none other than the great Australian sprinter Betty Cuthbert. “She had never seen a Sikh in her life and just kept playing with the hanky tied to my hair.’’

Milkha’s apart, Indian football also made history of sorts at The G. They finished fourth, losing 0-3 to Bulgaria in the play-off match for the bronze medal. India had opened their campaign beating Australia 4-2.

Even after five decades Milkha remembers the The G so well. ‘‘The track had only six lanes and red brick dust mixed with oil was laid over it. We had to unclog the dirt from the bottom of our hand-made leather shoes at the end of each race,’’ he recalls.

The G today is a state-of-the art venue, with an Olympic-sized ‘Mondo’ track. It is one of the oldest sporting venues in the modern world, yet it has evolved over 151 years to be one of the world’s most modern.

For the Commonwealth Games, the capacity of the ground is being reduced from 100,000 to 86,000. This is because 14,000 seats have been lost to accommodate the track. After the Games the track will be removed and the seats restored.

Besides Milkha and the football team, Indian cricket naturally has deep roots at The G. According to former dashing batsman Kirti Azad, India recorded a great victory at The G in 1980-81 series after almost forfeiting the match.