.Sep 17, 2024, 09:18 PM ETWASHINGTON-- Billie Jean Master will certainly become the initial private women's athlete to be awarded the Legislative Gold Medal.Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Mikie Sherrill of New Shirt introduced Tuesday that their bipartisan legislation had actually passed your house of Representatives as well as would certainly be sent out to Head of state Joe Biden for his signature.The expense to recognize Master, the ping pong Hallway of Famer as well as lobbyist, had actually presently passed unanimously in the Senate.Sherrill, a Democrat, claimed in a claim that Master's "lifetime of campaigning for and effort modified the landscape for females and also ladies on the courtroom, in the classroom, as well as the work environment." The costs was offered in September 2023 on the 50th wedding anniversary of King's success over Bobby Riggs in the "War of the Sexes," still the most-watched ping pong match of perpetuity. The medal, awarded by Congress for prominent accomplishments and also contributions to culture, has actually previously been actually provided to professional athletes, consisting of pitcher Jackie Robinson and also Roberto Clemente and also golf enthusiasts Port Nicklaus, Byron Nelson and Arnold Palmer.King had already been actually awarded the Presidential Medal of Liberty in 2009. Fitzpatrick, a Republican politician, says she has "damaged barriers, led uncharted courses, as well as motivated a great number of people to stand up happily with guts and principle in the fight for what corrects.".