WASHINGTON — Billie Jean King is now the first particular person feminine athlete to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
President Joe Biden signed bipartisan laws Thursday to acknowledge King for “a exceptional life dedicated to championing equal rights for all, in sports activities and in society.”
The invoice to honour King, the tennis Corridor of Famer and activist, handed unanimously within the Senate after which within the Home of Representatives.
The invoice was launched final September on the fiftieth anniversary of King’s victory over Bobby Riggs within the “Battle of the Sexes,” nonetheless the most-watched tennis match of all time. The medal, awarded by Congress for distinguished achievements and contributions to society, has beforehand been given to athletes together with baseball gamers Jackie Robinson and Roberto Clemente, and golfers Jack Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.
King had already been awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., a co-introducer of the invoice, mentioned she has “damaged limitations, led uncharted paths, and impressed numerous individuals to face proudly with braveness and conviction within the battle for what is true.”
