Billie Jean King speaks after receiving “The Know Your Value Award” on stage on the Forbes 30/50 Summit International Women’s Day Awards Gala 2023 on March 08, 2023 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
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Sports trailblazer Billie Jean King would grow to be the primary lady athlete to obtain the Congressional Gold Medal below laws launched by U.S. lawmakers, the U.S. Tennis Association (USTA) mentioned Wednesday.
The invoice, sponsored by Pennsylvania Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and New Jersey Democrat Mikie Sherrill would honor “King, an American icon, in recognition of a remarkable life devoted to championing equal rights for all, in sports and in society.”
Eleven male athletes and the 1980 U.S. Olympic crew, which didn’t compete in that yr’s Moscow Summer Games, have obtained the award.
“I am honored to be considered for the Congressional Gold Medal,” King mentioned.
The transfer comes as tennis celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of equal prize cash for women and men on the U.S. Open.
“Billie Jean King is an incredible athlete and unmatched trailblazer for women and girls in sports,” mentioned Fitzpatrick.
“This is a woman who has truly impacted the lives of so many,” mentioned Sherrill. “We’re still not where we need to be, or want to be, but we would not be anywhere near where we are today without Billie Jean King.”
USTA president Brian Hainline hailed King’s struggle for girls’s equality in payouts half a century in the past after she gained the 1972 U.S. Open crown. The U.S. Open started paying equal cash in 1973 and King, now 79, later that yr beat Bobby Riggs within the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match.
“Perhaps most impressive about her legacy is that her greatness on and off the court has not only inspired countless girls and women to also aim for their own greatness, but has pushed for them to be properly compensated for these efforts,” Hainline mentioned.
“The time is perfect for Billie Jean King to become the first female athlete to be given the Congressional Gold Medal.”
