.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean Master will definitely end up being the 1st individual women's professional athlete to become granted the Congressional Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Jacket announced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had actually passed the House of Representatives as well as will be actually delivered to Head of state Joe Biden for his signature.The costs to recognize Master, the ping pong Lobby of Famer and also protestor, had actually actually passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, claimed in a declaration that King's "life time of campaigning for and also effort modified the landscape for females and also ladies on the courtroom, in the classroom, and also the place of work." The expense was actually launched in September 2023 on the 50th wedding anniversary of Master's success over Bobby Riggs in the "Battle of the Sexes," still the most-watched tennis suit of perpetuity. The award, rewarded by Our lawmakers for notable achievements and also payments to culture, has actually previously been actually provided professional athletes, consisting of pitcher Jackie Robinson and also Roberto Clemente as well as golfers Port Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.King had actually actually been rewarded the Governmental Medal of Independence in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican politician, mentions she possesses "defective barriers, led unexplored roads, as well as influenced a great number of folks to stand proudly with courage and also conviction in the defend what corrects.".