.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean King will become the 1st personal ladies's professional athlete to become rewarded the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania as well as Mikie Sherrill of New Jacket introduced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had passed your house of Panels and would be actually sent out to Head of state Joe Biden for his signature.The bill to recognize King, the ping pong Lobby of Famer and also activist, had currently passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, said in a statement that Master's "life-time of campaigning for and also hard work modified the landscape for females and women on the court, in the class, and the place of work." The bill was actually introduced in September 2023 on the 50th anniversary of King's success over Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexual activities," still the most-watched ping pong match of perpetuity. The award, awarded by Congress for distinguished accomplishments and also contributions to culture, has previously been actually provided professional athletes, featuring baseball players Jackie Robinson as well as Roberto Clemente and golf players Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.King had presently been rewarded the Presidential Award of Independence in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican, claims she has "defective barriers, led unexplored courses, as well as encouraged countless folks to stand up proudly with nerve as well as view in the defend what corrects.".