Sports

Billie Jean King readied to make history with Legislative Gold Medal

.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean Master are going to become the initial individual females's professional athlete to be rewarded the Legislative Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania as well as Mikie Sherrill of New Shirt introduced Tuesday that their bipartisan laws had passed the House of Reps as well as would certainly be sent to President Joe Biden for his signature.The expense to honor King, the tennis Hallway of Famer as well as protestor, had presently passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, claimed in a claim that King's "life time of campaigning for and also hard work transformed the landscape for ladies and gals on the court, in the class, as well as the workplace." The expense was launched in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of King's victory over Bobby Riggs in the "War of the Sexes," still the most-watched tennis suit of perpetuity. The award, rewarded through Congress for recognized accomplishments and additions to culture, has formerly been given to sportsmens, consisting of pitcher Jackie Robinson as well as Roberto Clemente and golfers Port Nicklaus, Byron Nelson as well as Arnold Palmer.King had already been actually awarded the Presidential Medal of Flexibility in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, mentions she possesses "broken obstacles, led unexplored courses, as well as influenced countless people to stand happily along with nerve and also view in the defend what is right.".