.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean King will definitely end up being the first personal females's professional athlete to become granted the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey revealed Tuesday that their bipartisan regulation had actually passed our home of Representatives and also would be sent out to President Joe Biden for his signature.The bill to honor Master, the ping pong Hall of Famer and also lobbyist, had actually actually passed all in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, claimed in a statement that King's "lifetime of advocacy as well as hard work altered the yard for women and also women on the courtroom, in the class, and the place of work." The expense was actually introduced in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of Master's victory over Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexual activities," still the most-watched tennis match of all time. The medal, awarded by Congress for recognized accomplishments as well as payments to community, has actually formerly been actually offered to professional athletes, featuring baseball players Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente as well as golf players Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson as well as Arnold Palmer.King had already been actually awarded the Presidential Medal of Flexibility in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, claims she possesses "busted barricades, led undiscovered roads, and also motivated plenty of folks to stand up happily with tenacity as well as view in the fight for what corrects.".