Sports

Billie Jean King set to make background with Legislative Gold Award

.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean King will become the very first personal females's athlete to become granted the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania as well as Mikie Sherrill of New Jacket introduced Tuesday that their bipartisan regulations had actually passed the House of Agents and would be sent to Head of state Joe Biden for his signature.The expense to honor Master, the ping pong Hallway of Famer as well as lobbyist, had actually currently passed all in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, mentioned in a statement that King's "life-time of advocacy and hard work modified the landscape for females and also girls on the court, in the class, and also the workplace." The bill was actually presented in September 2023 on the 50th wedding anniversary of Master's victory over Bobby Riggs in the "War of the Sexes," still the most-watched tennis suit of all time. The award, rewarded through Congress for prominent success and also payments to society, has actually recently been actually provided sportsmens, featuring pitcher Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente as well as golfers Port Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and also Arnold Palmer.King had actually already been actually awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, says she possesses "busted barricades, led unexplored paths, and also inspired numerous people to stand up proudly along with guts and also principle in the defend what is right.".